We Are
by Sarudoshi
Summary: her clan was wiped out by Naraku; as the princess of the western wolf demon clan, Getsu vows to avenge her dead parents by getting strong enough to one day kill him for it. five years after fleeing her ravaged home, she never expected to meet her match in the form of a handsome dog demon. is it fate? and will she get her revenge? R/R plz! rated for lang/ smut, no lemons. Sessh/OC.
1. Devil on the Doorstep

A/N: _my first legit IY fic! lol hah i sound like a nerd.. because i am one! xD nah but srsly.. *coughs* this is a modified version of the old fic i have on my drive that i'm too lazy to finish. my reason behind writing this fic is because, as a bishi fangirl, i totally love Sesshomaru in all his ruthless-badass-sexy-fluffy self and felt it better to give him a mate that is.. more his age, per se. IE: his mate in the form of a girl his age who also shares in past tragic issues like his. not that i'm bashing on the Rin/Sessh ship because i think it's cute and fluffy but i find it easier to pair him with a girl who's also a demon (full-bred) and can keep up with him power-wise. y'get it? anywho, on with the story! enjoy~ ;D_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

* * *

**_Chapter 01: Devil on the Doorstep_**

The sound of birds chirping hung in the air around the small clearing.

A stifled yawn escaped her as she looked at her reflection in the pond's clear surface, wiping bits of sand from her eyes.

She hated to sleep in; there wasn't any particular reason behind it, she just felt like it was easier to greet the day at the first glimpse of sunlight that streamed over the mountains in the distance.

She blinked her silver eyes at her reflection, lifting a clawed hand to brush strands of ebony behind her ear only to have them return to their original place covering her pointed ears.

Getsu sighed quietly.  
Being a full-blooded wolf _yokai_ was normal to her at this point in her young life, but sometimes she just wished she could be… _normal_.

Of course the nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her of the pros of being inhuman, mostly the ability to cast blue fire from her palms and the ability to regenerate from an injury. Not that she wasn't already accustomed to being fast and strong for her petite size, that is.

Her silver eyes looked at the violet crescent that marked her left cheekbone and turned wistful.

The birthmark of the princess of the west wolf _yokai_ clan.

It was something her mother always pointed out to her, when she was a cub; '_you will one day choose a mate that is worthy of your respect and love, when you're big and strong_.' She'd always remind her with a pretty smile on her kind face.

She exhaled and looked up from beneath her thin brow at the trees surrounding the clearing, a blur of green and greenish brown.

The rustling of brush sounded behind her; she pricked her pointed ears and whirled around in time to see who her ambusher was, her right hand flying to the hilt of the black katana at her hip.

A pair of light blue eyes met her narrowed gaze as a head of jet black and tanned face stumbled out of the brush, standing before her.  
Her tensed shoulders relaxed at the sight of the boy. "Koga. Damn it, you scared me," she grumbled, seeing him smirk wryly as she let go of the hilt and cracked her knuckles.

"Sorry, moon girl, I'd have figured your sharp nose woulda caught me comin' a mile away," the young clan leader remarked as she straightened to notice that her head came to his chin.

She pursed her lips at the nickname he'd given her, crossing her arms over her chest. "You were down-wind, how would I have caught your scent?" She pointed out.

Koga chuckled and smirked again, lifting a hand to ruffle her ebony hair. "Like I would know?" He wondered.

Getsu punted his hand from her head, lifting a hand to put her hair back into a loose ponytail with the red ribbon.  
"You're the clan leader, should be able to figure something out." She shrugged past him, retreating to the cave the rest of the pack were probably still sleeping in.

He rolled his eyes at her indifferent response, trotting after her until he was flanking her right side.

Koga had been the only wolf _yokai_ she'd seen after her clan was wiped out five years ago; he'd been kind enough to let her stay with his clan for as long as she felt. Whether it was because she was the princess of the western clan or because he liked her as more than a friend, she wasn't entirely sure.  
For now, Koga was just someone she could call a friend, that's all she knew.

Wolves stuck together, it was simply instinct.

He tugged on her tail, making her yelp slightly; she jerked from the haze of thoughts that clouded her mind and looked up at his blue eyes to see he was amused by her yelp of surprise.

Her cheeks warmed and she scowled, flashing a canine. "That wasn't necessary, idiot." She growled.

He chuckled again, still amused. "The hell it wasn't, you were so deep in thought I thought I'd have to bite your tail or something." He remarked, his own tail swishing lightly.

Getsu pursed her lips again, exhaling and lifting a hand to slug his muscled arm in scolding.

Koga ignored the slight wince at having her punch so hard, making a face. "Geez, for a princess, your right hook sure hurts." He mused aloud.  
She huffed and smirked at him, folding her arms again complacently. "Serves you right." She mused.

He shot her a look, making the smirk broaden on her lips.

Even though she was the princess of his cousin clan, she was downright, one-hundred-percent tomboy.  
It was because of that mindset that she never wore anything feminine, save the lilac-colored kimono top with white crescents embroidered into the right shoulder; she went so far as to use blackened iron greaves to shield her legs from the shin to the ankle, making the navy _hakama_ pants stop short of her knees; a gray vest with silver studs covered her shoulders and was cropped short of the pale and dark green wide sash that wound around her small waist and held the black katana at her left hip.

Getsu was a tomboy princess and that was one thing she held the utmost pride in.

::::::::oOo:::::::::

The sound of buzzing bees hung in the air as they neared the caves, perking both wolf _yokai_ sensitive ears.

"Koga!" A bark sounded as both of his _nakama_, Ginta and Hakkaku, dropped down infront of the young clan leader with ease, their tails poised in the air on alert.

"What's happening?" Getsu asked the two fellow wolf _yokai_, looking around for the bees, silver eyes tightened; the sight of those bees only led to trouble in the form of a man named Naraku.

"I don't know but it sounds like a demon horde is headed this way, if the hornets are this close." Hakkaku replied with a growl of unease.

Koga smirked at the prospect of cutting down those worthless ghouls, blue eyes glinting.  
"Sounds like it should be easy enough to exterminate them; Ginta, cover the north side of the forest, Hakkaku, the east. I'll handle the west; Getsu, you take the south. Whatever happens, don't let that filthy bastard try and take our territory!" He instructed, nodding to his friends.

Getsu smirked slightly at him. "Right," she nodded, sprinting past the trees to take her position at the south end of their territory.

If it was one thing she hated, it was that bastard half-breed Naraku; he was the reason and one responsible for her clan's destruction, that horrible night of the half-moon…

A loud buzzing rang in the air near her head; she ducked in time to avoid getting hit by the stingers of three hornets, right hand lowering to the hilt of her katana as she skidded to a halt near the edge of the cliff that dipped down into a large valley below.

"_Nagareboshi-kaen!_" She exclaimed as her free palm lit up with an orange glow before she fired a set of five blue fireballs at the hornets.

One of the hornets managed to dodge her attack, buzzing angrily as it flew at her face; her claws ripped through its head as she tossed it aside.

The familiar stench of that man jerked her attention away from the dead hornet as she saw a hooded figure in a white baboon cloak rushing her.

She drew her katana, leaping overhead as the figure sailed at her before she did a small sommer-sault and landed on the balls of her feet, now opposite of her former position at the base of the cliff edge.

The figure shuffled a little, seeming to glare past the darkness of the cloak at the wolf _yokai_ that glowered at it, a growl rumbling in her throat as her black tail stood on end.

'Don't you recognize your own sister, Getsuei?' The silky voice of her younger sibling stole from the darkness of the figure's hidden face, surprising her.

Her eyes widened.

"K-Korihime?" She breathed the name of her younger sister; Korihime had been slaughtered before her eyes, dying first at the hands of one of Naraku's multiple demon hordes.

The figure giggled, the voice of her sister sounding like silver bells. 'Getsuei-onee-chan, come. Mother and Father have been waiting for you, as I have…' She crooned as the figure shuffled closer to the stiffened and slightly fearful wolf _yokai_.  
"Kori-nee," she whispered her sister's nickname, the memories from her blissful childhood flashing before her eyes.

A loud howl ripped through the memories, resounding and ringing in her ears and head.

Getsu shut her eyes tight and gripped the hilt of her katana, swinging the blade high and lunging at the figure with a loud growl of fury.  
The figure reeled back, the left of the cloak flying as at least ten mindless demons flew at her face.

"_Nagareboshi-kaen!_" She flicked her left wrist as six blue fireballs sailed at the demons, burning the small cluster of mindless slime.

The figure sailed at her, a glint of something sharp appearing in the growing daylight before a sharp pain blossomed in her right arm.

She snarled in pain, crashing into the figure and sending them both over the cliff's edge, bouncing against the rocky side of the cliff and scuffling between connecting with the rocky surface.

The coppery taste of blood filled her mouth from the busted lip she earned from narrowly dodging a swipe from the figure, her palms on fire as she slammed her left fist coated in blue flames into the figure's jaw.

The cloak was pulled back from the figure's head, making her eyes widen again at the sight of a pale-skinned man with flowing dark brown hair and red eyes that gleamed darkly; her eyes narrowed into angered slits as the man's red eyes glittered, his scent reeking of evil.

"Naraku!" She hissed, pulling her left hand back to slice at his head with her claws.  
He only chuckled and rammed a foot into her gut, kicking her sharply and sending her flying into the distant trees.

Loud curses escaped her as she tumbled through the trees' branches and twigs, yelping as she slipped on a large branch she tried to gain her footing on and continued to fall before her backside made contact with the hard grassy earth at last.

"Shit," she growled under her breath, groaning and lying on her back, blearily looking up at the canopies she'd crashed through, scattered leaves dancing around her before falling to the ground near her beaten body.

_Thank the heavens for regenerative abilities_, she thought, closing her eyes and releasing a shaky sigh.

She waited for a few minutes before sitting up, listening to the various noises of the forest around her, vaguely hearing birds chirp in the trees she hadn't crashed through.

An uttered curse came from between her gritted canines as she sat up, biting back the slight pain that radiated from the impact the earth had on her backside as she gingerly stood to her feet.

"Damn it, that hurt worse than I thought it did," she muttered, rubbing her head gingerly and wiping her lower lip from the blood that had dried from earlier, sheathing her katana quietly before she looked around at the trees surrounding her.

_No sign of life_, she mused, lifting her nose into the air and sniffing; _I don't smell wolf scent, either_.  
A frown furrowed her brow as she exhaled softly and started walking, weaving around the trees and bushes aimlessly.

She didn't know where she was headed, but she knew she had to get as far from the cliff as possible, before Naraku or his "friends" decided to chase after her.

_I hope Koga and those other two are alright_, she mused, frowning again at reminding her that she was separated from not only her dead clan but the clan that had openly given her shelter and food to eat for the last five years.

The sound of her sister's voice coming from that snake really pissed her off; Naraku was already on her kill list, but now that he'd taunted her by using voices from her former clan he was definitely the first piece of slime she was dying to cut apart with her bare claws.

* * *

Getsu was alone.

If it was one thing instinct taught her, it's that as a lone wolf, your chances of making it alive through the world were very unlikely.

The scent of another _yokai_ crossed her nose.  
Her eyes widened slightly; she lifted her nose into the air, sniffing for more hints regarding the _yokai_ scent.

It didn't smell threatening like Naraku did, but it did smell powerful.

Reason nagged at the back of her mind, telling her to abstain from drawing closer to the powerful being.  
Reason could take a long walk as far as she was concerned.

She moved closer to the scent, briefly catching the whiff of human nearby; her hand lowered to the hilt of her katana before the human stink faded away into the wood as she drew closer.

Now that she was closer, she could almost make out the powerful _yokai_ that had led her away from the cliff: whoever he was, he smelled of **dog**.

_A dog demon? I thought they were wiped out_, she thought, brushing the irked thought away as she peered from between bushes at the figure that rested against a tall tree.

Her eyes widened slightly again.

Long silver hair flowed from the figure's head, framing his handsome face with likewise-silver bangs, a blue crescent on his forehead and two maroon streaks marred his cheeks.

Blush crept up her cheeks as she realized that he was very handsome.

She caught the scent of blood and looked to see he was gripping his left arm with his right clawed hand, a grimace furrowing his thin brow.  
As quietly and gingerly as she could, she hopped over the bushes that stood in her way, landing lithely on one foot before she straightened her stance and tip-toed closer to the sleeping _yokai_.

He was muttering something under his breath in his sleep, perking her sensitive ears; she tilted her head to one side, listening to his words.  
"Tetsusaiga… Give me the Tetsusaiga, you damn half-breed… InuYasha…" He uttered, seeming to be deep in a dream.

_Tetsusaiga?_ She wondered, looking at his right hand that tightened minutely on his left arm.

Dried blood stained the bottom half of the white sleeve of his _kosode_ that had red designs on the left shoulder, she now noticed.

_His arm!_ His arm had been severed.

_Whoever this InuYasha is, he must've bested him in a fight for that Tetsusaiga thing_, she mused, pausing short of a foot away from him to crouch down on her knees.

"Hey, um… hello? Is your arm gone…?" She asked softly, tentatively reaching to grasp his good hand.

In less than a second, his right hand lashed out to snap his grip around her wrist, making her yelp slightly, startled.

* * *

**A/N**: _wow talk about a long first chapter! lol i didn't think it'd be this long but it was four pages worth on Micro. Word, so yeah. anyway, not much else to put except that there's more relationship stuff going down later on; look forward to it!_

also, the fic title is from "**We Are**_" by Ana Johnsson from the _Spiderman 2 OST.

**review please. thanks a mil~ ;D**


	2. Line Up (So Alone)

A/N: _okay, where we last left off Getsu had stumbled upon a sleeping dog demon after a squabble with one of Naraku's puppets posing as her sister. what's Sesshomaru gonna say? and will Getsu make it back to Koga's pack?_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me_.

** _title is from "__**We Are**__" by __**Ana Johnsson**__ from the Spiderman 2 OST **_

* * *

**_Chapter 02: Line Up (So Alone)_**

His brow twitched before he opened his eyes, looking up at her with one golden eye. "Leave me." He growled softly.

She blushed at the intensity of his stare, furrowing her brow into a scowl as she stared him down. "You're injured, you fool. You should at least have someone tend to your arm…" She returned, trying to shake his grip off her wrist.

His claws dug into her wrist guard as his grip tightened, his eye narrowing. "I'm fine. Leave now, woman. Before you regret angering me." He warned coldly, aggravated and weary as he glared up at the insistent woman that appeared to be a wolf _yokai_.  
Her own stare tightened into a glare. "I'm **not** leaving." She stated stiffly, her silver eyes stubborn.

They held each other's stare frigidly, neither of the two canine _yokai_ backing down from the intensity of each other's glare.

"How did you find me?" He asked slowly, coldly.

She sniffed. "It's none of your business, dog. Besides, how did you get this way?" She spat, quirking an eyebrow.

He returned the sniff. "That's none of your business **either**, wolf." He quipped sharply.

"My Lord Sesshomaru! I've been looking everywhere for you, Lord Sesshomaru…**Eh**!?" A shrill voice cried out behind them, making both _yokai_ look to see a toad imp sprinting towards the tree, his bulging yellow eyes widened at seeing the strange female _yokai_.

"W-who are you!? What reason do you have for manhandling my master, you insolent wench!?" The imp shrieked, the two-headed staff he wielded in his hands thrusting forward in a threat as he glowered up at the ebony-haired wolf _yokai_.

She huffed and yanked her wrist free of the dog's grip to straighten and stand her full height. "Well, I didn't know frogs could talk. I always pegged them to be in someone's stew or on a stick." She jeered coldly, her right hand sinking to the hilt of her katana.

It seemed to piss off the little toad further; he growled and brandished the staff, swinging it from one paw to the other. "You damn wench; I'll show you the power of the staff of two heads!" He cried; the insides of the heads' mouths began to glow orange.

_Great_, she thought, sinking into a fighting stance as she unsheathed her katana. "I'd love to see you try, imp." She snapped as her right foot slid behind her.

"Jaken." The dog _yokai_ named Sesshomaru snapped, his voice brittle and cold, making the toad imp squeak and straighten quickly, holding the staff in one hand erect.  
The glow faded from inside the heads' mouths.

"Y-yes, milord?" He stammered.

"This woman means no harm, stay your hand." He ordered crisply, slightly surprising her as well as the toad imp.

He bowed his head slightly. "Y-Yes, my Lord." He obeyed, lowering his gaze shamefully.

She wordlessly sheathed her blade, shooting the imp a look before returning her gaze to the confusing dog _yokai_. "It wouldn't have been much of a problem if I'd have killed him," she defended.

His gold eye lifted to meet her silver stare as an inward smirk of amusement threatened to make his lips twitch upward. "Yes, but if you'd have killed my servant, I'd have no choice but to kill you in return." He reasoned in a calm tone.

Her eye twitched at his calm voice and she scowled. "Is that a fact?" She wondered cattily.

The stink of human invaded her nose again, invading his as well, before both _yokai_ looked up to hear horses coming forward towards the small clearing around the tree.  
A small platoon of at least ten or twenty soldiers – possibly more – surrounded the clearing, spears aimed at the dog _yokai_.

Getsu drew her katana and growled, sinking into a fighting stance as she stood defensively infront of the _yokai_ lord, her silver eyes tight.

The toad imp Jaken balked at the sight of so many humans. "Huh; who are you men!?" He barked.

"Wretched demon, prepare to die!" The man at the head of the platoon on horseback proclaimed, indicating the aforementioned _yokai_.

"How dare you threaten my lord…?" Jaken snarled shrilly.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru growled behind him, perking his ears.

"Uh, y-yes?" He whimpered.

"Both of you, you're in the way." He stated.

"H-hey, hang on," she began.

"Get out of the way, wolf." Sesshomaru ordered stiffly as Jaken moved aside.  
Getsu reluctantly obeyed, moving to the side.

"Rifle squads, step to the forefront!" The man leading the platoon ordered as several soldiers bearing rifles positioned themselves to fire at the dog _yokai_.

Even though she barely knew this Sesshomaru, the urge to stop the oncoming murder sang in her blood, her subconscious screaming at her to act and kill the rifle squads before they had the chance to fire one bullet.

"Rifle squad, fire!" The man cried as the bullets went off.

"**NO**!" Getsu shouted, gasping softly and widening her eyes as he deflected the oncoming bullets with a whip of yellow light, making the riflemen fly back when the whip hit them as well.

"Damn that insolent demon!" The man in charge shouted.

She widened her eyes slightly when he straightened to his feet, a dangerous look in his gold eyes making a shiver roll down her spine to the tip of her tail.

"You foolish mortals! You won't get away with trying to harm Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken shouted at the top of his lungs, bouncing up and down in anger as he held the staff high.

"Retreat!" The man in charge cried.

"You won't get away that easily!" She sprinted forward to get at the human in charge of almost harming the injured _yokai_ lord behind her.

A clawed hand grabbed the wrist of her right hand, jerking her to a halt; she widened her eyes a little, looking up at the owner of the clawed hand to meet his glimmering gold stare.

"Let them go. They'll get what they deserve, in the future." He pointed out quietly.

Her cheeks burned slightly before she nodded, lowering her gaze. "Right." She muttered, letting him squeeze her wrist a little before he dropped it.  
_The flute stopped playing_, he thought to himself, looking at the ebony-haired wolf _yokai_ to see she sheathed a black katana wordlessly.

"That was very brash of you to try and kill that platoon." He noted more to himself, perking her pointed ears.

Her cheeks warmed a little; she spluttered a huff and jerked her gaze away. "They had the gall to attack a man when he was injured; anyone with an ounce of sense would've done the same." She replied quietly, rubbing her arm.

Amusement shone in his gold stare. "Regardless, you behaved foolishly." He mused.

She looked up at him and scowled, planting a hand on her hip. "Don't think just because I tried to help that you can charm me, dog demon." She quipped cattily with a sniff.

The amusement threatened to spill down his face, to make his lips twitch upward in a smirk; _this woman, she doesn't seem to behave like other women do around me_, he thought.

"So do you have a name?" He asked; most of his adamancy towards this peculiar woman was stemmed from curiosity. The fact that she was different from other women as well as rather lovely was a second reason.

Her cheeks warmed slightly and she lowered her gaze. "Getsu, of the Western Okami _Yokai_." She replied, almost ashamed of speaking of her birthplace.

He quirked a brow. "'Western Okami _Yokai'_? I was not under the impression that a wolf clan resided in the west. My father ruled over the western region, long ago." He wondered.

She widened her eyes a little and looked up at him. "Your father…? The great Dog Demon of the West?" She asked, remembering hearing stories of how a great dog _yokai_ lord had control over the western region when she was younger.

He nodded. "Yes. And now that land belongs to me, after his unfortunate passing." He replied.

Getsu quieted and then nodded, bowing her head a little. "That makes sense, then, Sesshomaru." She mused; his ears twitched at hearing her say his name for the first time.

Sesshomaru brushed the slight flushing feeling away swiftly, nodding. _This wolf yokai, she was the princess of the western clan_, he realized; he would have to be a fool to believe she would ever be interested in him. She most likely had many admirers already…

"Where were you headed?" She wondered aloud, stirring him from his lewd thoughts.

He looked at the trees surrounding them, his right hand still holding the stump of his left arm.  
"My insolent little brother, he wields a sword our father handed down to him after his passing; I feel I must wield the blade because it doesn't deserve to be wielded by a dense half-breed like InuYasha." He explained quietly, almost imagining the stump of his left arm throb in pain at the memory of having it severed by such an insolent boy.

She eyed his arm and looked at him again. "Can I come with you?" She asked, pricking his ears.

Sesshomaru looked at her in slight confusion that flickered in his gold eyes. "Don't you have a clan to return to? You've come such a long way, if you're on a journey…" He mused.

Getsu shook her head. "My clan… my clan was slaughtered by Naraku. I've taken shelter with another wolf clan around here but we got separated. Please, take me with you. I… I don't want to be alone." She pleaded, bowing her head respectfully.

He raised a brow again.  
This woman, she was a pack-oriented wolf yokai. Being alone was something she feared most, he realized.  
He quieted and then nodded. "Very well, so long as you keep up, you may come along." He declared quietly.

Her eyes widened before she looked up at him and smiled slowly. "Thank you," she replied, nodding as she straightened, noting that she was at least a head shorter than him.

* * *

The amber light from the small fire burned vibrantly.

"Milord," the toad imp began.

He looked at him. "What is it?" He pressed.

Jaken looked at the sleeping wolf _yokai_ huddled near the fire, her face peaceful. "Was it wise to bring along that woman? She is a full-blooded demon like you, Milord, and who knows how powerful she is!" He asked.

Sesshomaru followed his gaze and then shot the imp a look. "I'm well aware that she's pure-blood." He looked at the way the amber light from the fire highlighted her ebony hair, the contours of her slightly round cheeks.  
"Besides, she's the princess of the western wolf clan. She's the last link of the clan's lineage." He replied, deciding to keep the thought that she was dependent on a pack family to himself.

Jaken balked. "She's a princess! But how did she end up here…?" He asked curiously, looking at the sleeping _yokai_ again.

"Be quiet." He shushed him with a scowl, looking at the flames that burned slowly. "However she got here, I have yet to know. The point is that she's going to stay with us from now on." _Or at least until she finds her pack_, he added mentally, feeding the flames a twig.

He quieted and nodded. "Y-yes, my lord." He bowed slightly before going to find a spot to rest, leaving the dog _yokai_ to stare at the flames and be in his own thoughts.

_'Please, take me with you. I… I don't want to be alone.'_ She'd pleaded, sounding like she was on the verge of tears.

_Why did she want to come along with _**me**_, of all people?_ He wondered.

Getsu looked like she could take care of herself well enough; she didn't appear to need a man around to keep her company.

_We're not even of the same breed_, he thought with a derisive smirk. She was a pure-blood wolf, and he was a pure-blood dog.  
_Both breeds are incompatible with each other_, he mused. It'd be ridiculous if he even tried!

Besides, she was just a woman. For all he knew, she could be gone by morning never to see him again, only using his rare kindness for a place to rest her head for one night.

She shivered slightly in her sleep, stirring him from his thoughts as he realized he was staring at her.

He shook his head, seeing her shiver again before she curled into a tighter ball, her tail covering her bare heels.

"M-Mother, no…" She whimpered.  
He watched her shiver a third time before he exhaled softly, shuffling to sit closer to her.

_I can't believe I'm doing this_, he thought; he gingerly lifted his hand to stroke her hair, brushing strands of ebony from her cheek, briefly admiring the violet crescent on her left cheek.

She calmed slowly as he continued to stroke her hair, her muscles easing as she seemed to sleep dreamlessly now.  
A slight smile formed on his lips at her relaxed form; he looked up at the trees that blocked the view of the bright stars in the night sky.

:::::::::oOo:::::::

Warmth was radiating from the stump of his left arm, rousing him.

His brow twitched before he opened his eyes, looking at the green brush around him before acknowledging the warmth coming from his arm; he turned his gaze sharply to see the source of the warmth.

The wolf _yokai_ was hovered over his arm, her palms glowing a faint purple color as they were focused on the stump of his left arm.

"What're you doing?" He wondered, his morning voice slightly gruff and sleepy, perking her ears.

Her cheeks warmed a little at hearing his voice sound so alluring, keeping her eyes on his arm. "I told you yesterday, you should have someone tend to your arm. Besides, you wouldn't let me look at it while you were awake," she explained, looking up at him from beneath black lashes, silver clashing with gold.

His eyes narrowed and he looked away, shuffling away from her and surprising her at his actions. "So you decided to take it upon yourself to tend to my arm when I didn't ask you to do as such." He stated.

She scowled at him, tightening her eyes. "I was trying to help! Geez, is losing your arm the same as losing your pride?" She snapped, glaring into his stare.

They held each other's stares coldly again, reminiscent of the day before.

Getsu reluctantly backed down, straightening with a growl of frustration in her throat. "Get up, if you wanna catch your idiot sibling we need to move out." She declared, turning her back on him to storm out of the clearing.  
Sesshomaru glared after her retreat, straightening reluctantly before he followed without a word.

_She's obviously not a morning person_, he mused.

* * *

The hollow sound of air hitting metal hung in the air.  
She swung her blade forward, twisting on her left heel and thrusting her arm forward, her sword stabbing into the gut of an invisible enemy.

He opened an eye up at hearing the noise, seeing her lithe and petite form twisting this way and that, the katana in her right hand always kept at arm's length as she seemed to be practicing.

_Is she not skilled in wielding a blade?_ He wondered.

If he didn't know any better, the way she moved was almost like a solitary dance. It had him intrigued… as well as rather enticed.  
He instantly cursed that damn toad for leaving them to themselves as he went to retrieve firewood, having left them alone for an hour it seemed.

She panted softly, stirring him from his thoughts, as he realized she'd stopped practicing; she returned the katana to the black sheath at her left hip wordlessly, the 'clink' sound of metal bouncing against the wood humming softly.

Her silver eyes lowered to the hilt of the katana, admiring the bluish green fabric that wound around the hilt.

'_This will be yours one day, my little moon._' Her father's gentle blue eyes glittered with warmth he showered on her as he'd showed her the black katana with bluish green fabric on the hilt she now wore proudly on her hip.

_Father_, she thought, her clawed fingers coiling around the handle as she remembered vividly snatching the katana from the front room of their mansion as it hung on the wall like a trophy, taking the sword and running as fast as she could away from the burning home she'd known ever since she could remember.

_I will avenge you, both of you, one day_, she thought, her lip curling at the horrid memory of that blood-soaked night.

Her eyes peeled away from the katana to the resting dog _yokai_, her eyes softening slightly as she noticed that he was asleep again.

_Poor man, I wonder what kind of brother that InuYasha boy is, to sever his own brother's arm off_, she mused, shuffling closer to sit down next to him against the large tree.

She looked at the way the sunlight gleamed on his fair skin, highlighting his silver hair and making it look white; she smiled slightly, resting her head against the tree's surface and closing her eyes with a sigh.

"It's not that I decided to take it upon myself to heal your arm. I just… I felt that your pride suffered with the loss of your arm, and I wanted to heal your pride." Getsu whispered to him, even though she knew he wasn't listening and was probably in his own world at the moment; she sighed softly and closed her eyes, the chirping of birds a soft hum to her ears as it lulled her into a dreamless sleep.

::::::::oOo:::::::::

Something warm and breathing rested against his chest.

He stirred, opening his gold eyes slowly, noting that he'd drifted into another slumber; _damn lazy summer heat_, he thought, looking around as he noticed the wolf demon was nowhere in sight.

The warm weight on his chest sighed softly in their sleep.

He looked down at the weight and widened his eyes slightly, the same flush from the day before when she'd said his name leaping into his cheeks; the wolf princess slept peacefully on his chest, her clawed fingers curled in the fabric of his _kosode_ as her cheek rested on the cool metal of his chest guard.

_Why is she always clinging to me in her sleep?_ He wondered in slight annoyance.

"S-Sesshomaru…" She grumbled his name in her sleep, pricking his ears; he looked down at her again, seeing a slight blush coloring her cheeks pink. "I… I wanna stay, with you…" She mumbled, pressing her cheek closer to his chest guard.

The flush burned until it was a shade of reddish pink; he quieted and lifted a hand to run his claws through her ebony hair.

_Why me? I have no reason to have a woman around_, he thought, watching her calm again and return to whatever dream she was in, snoring softly. _She doesn't deserve to live like this_, he mused.

She was a _princess_, for the gods' sakes. She didn't need to be living on the road, much less very close to a dog demon lord like him. A princess like her… she deserved to be living expansively, to have her choice of any male she desired...

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The shrill voice of Jaken sounded as he sounded like he was getting closer to the clearing.

_Idiot toad_, he inwardly cursed him, gingerly moving the sleeping wolf _yokai_ to the tree's surface.

She roused, opening her eyes and looking up as the aforementioned toad imp sprinted through the brush, yelping and tripping, dropping the mound of firewood.

"And I thought humans were enough of butterfingered idiots," she muttered with a snicker.

He couldn't help but smirk at her comment, inwardly relieved that she hadn't woken up sleeping on his chest; if she had, he could only imagine the loud yowls she would yell at him for being a pervert... or something along those lines.

"What was that, you damn wench!?" Jaken barked shrilly, hopping up and down in anger as a large vein twitched angrily on his brow.

Getsu sweatdropped. "Is he _always_ like this?" She asked, looking at the dog demon as he exhaled and leaned forward.

**_THWACK_**.

"Under most circumstances, regrettably so." Sesshomaru replied dryly, shaking his hand absently as the imp recoiled from the large bump on his head his master had given him.

She covered the grin that formed on her lips at his demise, shrugging. "Good to know that now." She mused, sinking to her knees to get the fire going, her fingers warming with the familiar orange glow of her fire power as she pointed a finger at the stack of wood.

Flames burned brilliantly, growing to an average size before the trio.

He eyed her hands as she cracked her knuckles absently. "Apparently my suspicions were wrong," he mused, pricking her ears.

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. "What's **that** mean?" She asked slowly.

Sesshomaru's gold eyes met her slightly annoyed silver. "I wasn't under the impression that wolf demons could use fire. I had pegged earth-type abilities were only usable by wolf demons, aside from ogre demons." He replied simply.

Getsu pursed her lips, the warmth from her fingertips spreading to her palms as she scowled at him.  
"Not all wolf demons use earth abilities! Besides, only my father's branch in the western clan was gifted with using fire… And he passed it to me." She sniffed and crossed her arms at her chest, sitting on her knees.  
"You're lucky my father didn't hear that part about the ogre demons; he hated ogres." She added cattily.

He quieted and fought the smirk vehemently struggling to overtake his lips, leaning back against the tree. "I would imagine you also hate ogres." He guessed.

She shrugged, looking at the fire again, feeding a twig to the eager flames. "I just find them useless and dumb." She replied.

He nodded, admiring the way the amber light of the fire lightly highlighted the locks of ebony that ran down past her small waist.

What the hell was he thinking when he allowed her to come with him?

* * *

A/N: _the relationship is budding, soon to blossom into a beautiful flower~ /gets bricked by a pissy Sesshomaru_  
_aheh, anyway,_ **review please**_! thanks~ /bows_


	3. Awake - Obsessive

A/N:_ more Sess/Get relationship angst. aren't they cute together~? /gets bricked_

**disclaimer**:_ InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

* * *

_**Chapter 03: Awake - Obsessive**_

_'If you don't like what he brings_, **you**_ go catch something'_. He'd remarked coolly, scowling at her silver eyes.

_Stupid dog_, she thought with an inward growl, ripping at a stray bush with her claws, leaves flying and then falling onto the ground she walked on as silently as possible.

Deciding to not listen to her complaints regarding the food Jaken had gotten for them, that ungrateful insolent dog had made her go get food, not returning until she found something to eat.

She cracked her knuckles in anger, huffing softly at the memory of his aloof gold stare that made her annoyed and want to scratch his pretty face with her claws.

What the hell was his _problem?_ She'd already stayed with him and that toad imp for well over a few weeks; one day it seemed like he and her were friends and the next they were contemplating killing each other! It didn't make sense.

"Sexist jerk," she muttered under her breath, cursing that dog demon for his annoying-as-hell aloof coldness that got on her nerves repeatedly.

The scent of cooking food jerked her from the haze of thoughts fogging her head; she pricked her ears, sniffing the air.  
Wherever it was coming from, it sure smelled good.

She trotted closer to the scent, moving as silent as she could manage, until she came short of a small hill slope; she ducked behind the brushes covering the slope's edge and peered from above the greenery to look down at the sight before her.

A campfire was lit, the flames burning gently into the late afternoon sky, a roasting chicken it looked like hanging over the flames, the heavenly scent of cooking meat taunting her nostrils and hungry stomach.

She sniffed the air to make sure noone was around; nope, not a sign.

_Good_, she thought; she hopped from over the slope's edge, landing quietly and lithely on the ground near the campfire.

_Feel sorry for whoever bastard is cooking this_, she thought, edging closer to the cooking fowl, hearing her stomach growl softly as a reminder that she was starving.

"**OI**!" A gruff bark sounded nearby, making her yelp and jump slightly; the scent of dog demon filled her nostrils immediately as she heard a rushing of feet coming closer.

She drew her sword quickly, bringing it up and twisting about to meet her assailant; a '_clink_' sounded when claws met her blade.  
Her eyes widened slightly.

A boy that didn't look younger than fifteen glared at her, his face framed by locks of silver hair; a pair of large and angered gold eyes glowered into her slightly surprised stare, her eyes glancing at the curled lip expression he wore that brandished his sharp canines. Her eyes traveled up to the pair of dog ears that peeked out from behind the bangs of his silver hair.

_A half-demon?_ She thought.

"InuYasha!" A girl's voice sounded behind the two clashed _yokai_; he looked over his shoulder slightly towards the voice.

Her foot propelled into the folds of his red _kosode_, kicking him away as she backed slightly infront of the chicken, a growl in her throat as she gripped her katana's hilt tight.

So _this_ was the infamous InuYasha; he looked like she had imagined he would, save the fire-rat _kosode_ that adorned his torso.

She looked behind him at the owner of the female voice, seeing a girl with raven black hair dressed in strange green and white clothes that showed her legs and feet standing a few yards away, a second boy with brown hair dressed in purple monk robes and holding a staff at his side near her; she looked at the small boy at his side, a fox kitsune it appeared he was, with red hair and a tan colored tail.

_Talk about strange_, she thought.

::::::::oOo:::::::::

"So you're from the western wolf clan, you say?" The monk asked, his name she learned was Miroku.  
She nodded, chewing carefully on a piece of chicken. "Yeah," she replied.

"So why the hell'd you come all the way here? It obviously ain't the sights." The half-bred dog _yokai_ InuYasha huffed at her left, shooting her a gold-eyed scowl.

She returned the scowl, her lip curling slightly. "That's none of your business, _half-breed_," she replied cattily.

"Honestly InuYasha, you can be so rude! But um, Getsu-chan, why **did** you come all this way?" The priestess-reincarnate Kagome asked hesitantly, looking at the wolf demon.

Getsu pricked her ears slightly before she calmed at the girl's politeness, looking at the flames that burned vainly. "My clan was slaughtered by Naraku because my father refused to "work" with him, five years ago." She explained, her voice softened at the memory of that fateful night of the half-moon.

The girl gasped. "All of your clan?" She balked.

She nodded. "I was the only one who survived it." She said.

InuYasha huffed again, the slight surprise at hearing her tragic history fading from his face. "That explains why you're out here, then. Don't tell me you're after the Shikon Jewel shards too." He declared.

Getsu blinked before she sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Not even! I may be a full-bred demon but that doesn't mean I'm lookin' for the shards. I don't need them to become a full-bred like **you**." She added darkly, shooting him a look.

His eyes narrowed as a vein pulsed annoyedly on his cheek. "Why you…" He growled.

"**Sit boy**!" Kagome barked; a loud '_thud_' sounded as he dropped face-first into the ground, slightly surprising the wolf demon.

Getsu snickered as the young fox _yokai_ Shippo guffawed at the sight, looking at the girl. "You really do have the makings of a priestess, y'know; if you're able to subdue this lummox with just a command." She commented, jerking a thumb at the pissy half-demon.

"H-hey, that's not funny, wolf!" InuYasha barked annoyedly.

**_THWACK_**.

"I told you, it's '_Getsu_', idiot." Getsu cracked her knuckles, looking away from him with a sniff.

"That'd be cool if you could come with us, Miss Getsu!" Shippo piped up, making both Kagome and Getsu look at him; InuYasha balked. "**EHH**!?"

"Um, Shippo…" She began with a sweatdrop; Sesshomaru would **_kill_** her if he found out she was traveling with the half-brother he so hated…!

"It's not every day we get to see InuYasha get beat up by a girl." The young fox _yokai_ added with a bright grin, yelping as the aforementioned half-breed flew at him in anger and annoyance, swearing loudly.

"**There ain't no way in friggin' hell she's going with us! I ain't workin' together with a pain-in-the-neck brat wolf like her**…!" InuYasha yelled angrily as he chased the kitsune around the campfire.

Miroku, Getsu and Kagome sighed dejectedly at the sight.  
"If you will," she gestured to the girl with a hand.

"**_SIT BOY_**_!_"

**_WHAM_**.

Getsu straightened to her feet, dusting the front of her _hakama_ off. "I've gotta get going anyway. My mate," she inwardly grimaced at the ludicrous indication, "expected me back a few hours ago, so he's probably looking for me." She excused herself, turning to the girl and monk and bowing slightly in respect and thanks. "Thanks again for letting me eat with you!" She smiled lightly after straightening, turning to walk away.

"Bye Miss Getsu!" Shippo waved after her.

"If you ever change your mind, we'll be around." Miroku added lightly, earning a look from the half-demon.

"Nice try, you pervert." Kagome chided, watching the wolf demon walk away into the setting sun, leaping onto the slope and spiriting away into the forest. "You only wanted her around to try and take advantage of her." She added knowingly with a sweatdrop.

InuYasha huffed and rubbed his head gingerly. "She's got a point for once. Besides, it wouldn't have been such a great idea to drag her with us; she stinks of my damn half-brother." He pointed out, crossing his arms in the sleeves of his _kosode_.

"I thought I smelled a dog demon's scent on her," Shippo chimed thoughtfully, rubbing his little chin.

"But why do you think she tried to steal our food?" Kagome asked, looking in the direction the aforementioned wolf demon had left.  
"Who knows? Prolly to feed that jerk's bottomless pit," InuYasha shrugged with a huff.

In the growing darkness of the wood, Getsu sneezed.

* * *

The scent of wolf caught his sensitive nose.

He paused short of feeding the flames a twig, looking up as the brush rustled before the sight of his traveling companion appeared.  
"I was wondering if you were going to come back at all." He commented as she exhaled and slipped her katana from the sash around her waist and sat down before him on the opposite end of the fire.

She rolled her eyes at his comment, stretching her arms to the sky. "Well I'm sorry to disappoint, then. I didn't catch you something, though." She remarked, meeting his gold eyes and lowering her gaze slightly out of apology.

Sesshomaru shrugged. "Honestly, it was not for my sake that I sent you out to look for a meal." He replied, perking her ears.

Getsu balked. "So I went out there…" She trailed off as her head bowed and her fists shook angrily.

"**YOU JERK**!"

**_THWACK_**.

"My Lord! E-eh!?" Jaken raced forward from tending to the two-headed dragon in the brush, skidding to a halt of the sight.  
Sesshomaru sat on his side of the fire, eyes closed serenely; Getsu looked away from him, arms folded over her chest.

A large red bump swelled on his master's head, seeming to be throbbing in pain.

_Serves him right_, she thought angrily, cursing the insolent dog demon to the ends of the earth for his motive behind his sending of her out into the forest to look for food.

_Gods that hurt_, he thought with an inward wince; her right hook packed a hell of a hit. He was still rather shocked that she'd beaten him.

Noone had ever bested him, especially a woman. Let alone a wolf demon princess…!  
_Do not ever make her hit me again_, he inwardly reminded himself.

She was a princess indeed, but even as a princess… she was something else.

* * *

_'Are you sure about this?' She'd wondered of the scaly arm he'd attached to the stump of his left arm._

_He'd glanced at her. 'If you have your doubts, you can always go.' He'd replied coolly, turning to walk further out of the forest._

_She'd huffed and pursed her lips, rushing after him until she was at his right. 'Don't think you can get rid of me that easily!' She'd declared annoyedly, folding her arms at her chest._

_He'd shot her a look, inwardly smirking_. For a wolf demon, she really is strange, _he'd thought_.

He looked at her as she stepped forth from standing back in the grassy shade, her arms folded over her chest and a displeased look on her pretty face.

"Once again you made quick work of them; brilliant work, Master!" The toad imp declared as he trotted ahead of her towards the dog _yokai_.  
He finally tore his gaze away from the wolf _yokai_ to look away. "Open your eyes fool; this arm has already been rendered useless." He declared, yanking the arm off and tossing it at Jaken's feet.

She huffed. "I told you it wasn't a wise idea." She declared.

He glanced at her. "If I needed your opinion, I would ask for it." He remarked.

Her eye twitched. "Why you…" She began, perking her ears as the arm grabbed Jaken; she exhaled and drew her katana, slicing the arm down the middle with a flick of her wrist, sheathing the katana wordlessly as it disintegrated shortly after being cut.

"Go find me a more suitable demon's arm; if you don't, I'll have to kill you." He ordered the imp. "Getsu," he beckoned, perking her ears.  
She scowled and clucked her tongue, moving closer to his side with her hands balled into fists.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, glancing up at him.

He glanced at her again. "Now what?" He wondered.

She ignored the twitch in her eye. "What's wrong with letting me heal your arm? I mean, if it's that much of a need of yours, I'll see what I can do…" She asked quietly, rubbing her arm.

Sesshomaru looked at her bowed head, the ebony tresses that fell down her shoulders gently; he exhaled and looked away. "Don't bow like that. You're the princess of the western wolf clan, so you should at least show some pride in your position." He declared, perking her ears.

Getsu's head shot up, her silver eyes slightly wide; they softened in confusion before she nodded, looking at the sunset. "Right." She mumbled, a soft breeze catching at her hair and playing with it before letting the strands drop.

He inhaled out of habit and took her wrist out of something she could only assume was shyness, slightly surprising her.  
Her cheeks warmed to a shade of light pink before she smiled slightly; m_aybe he isn't so bad after all_, she mused.

"A rather vexing problem, isn't it?" A growl sounded behind them, perking her ears; her eyes widened slightly.

Both _yokai_ turned slightly to see a baboon pelt-covered puppet kneeling before them.

"**You**," she growled, a searing flame radiating through her palms as she raised her right hand, claws sharp. "What business do you have here?" She spat coldly, lip curled as a second growl brewed in her throat.

"If I am not mistaken, you are the older brother of the half-demon InuYasha, Lord Sesshomaru, are you not?" The puppet mused in that low voice she loathed to hear, addressing the dog _yokai_ lord at her side.

"What do you want; should I know you?" Sesshomaru wondered, hearing a soft growl rumble from the wolf _yokai_'s throat; if this is who he thought it was, he was definitely **not** going to last very long with a pissy and vengeful wolf so close to ripping his throat out.

"I am someone like yourself who despises InuYasha. I happened to overhear your conversation just now," he lifted up a severed human arm to the dog _yokai_'s vision. "Perhaps I can be of assistance; might I suggest you employ this arm to use?" He suggested.  
Her lip curled again at the stink of death reeking off the decapitated limb, looking at him. "Sesshomaru," she began softly.

"Have you lost your senses!? Clearly that is the arm of a **human**!" Jaken exclaimed angrily.

"Yes, clearly this arm belonged to a mortal but it also has a shard of the Shikon Jewel embedded in it." He rebutted calmly.

A warm orange glow radiated from her palms. "Do you really think he's a fool to take a piece of meat you hold to his eyes like bait? I should rip your head off, you sick piece of…"

"**Getsu**." He growled, making her flinch at the sharp tone he used; she glared up at him, seeing the stony look in his gold eyes and quieting, flicking her wrists and folding her arms across her chest, glowering daggers at the baboon pelt-wearing bastard before them.

She wanted to kill him so very badly; and now that he was right infront of her, so very close to being killed by either dog or wolf _yokai_, it was hard to keep herself from ripping him to shreds and burning his remains with her bare hands.

"M-Milord, why did you let him go!?" Jaken's voice barked shrilly, perking her ears and jerking her from her thoughts; she looked to see the baboon pelt was gone.

"Sesshomaru…" Her fists shook at her sides. "Why did you do that?" She demanded, turning on him sharply and glaring up at his gold eyes.

He glared back. "It's not as if I agree with working for that pest, but if it helps me to get the Tetsusaiga, then I'll do what I must." He replied, stowing the hive in the folds of his _kosode_.

"You're such an idiot! You're already strong enough without the use of that sword! Why do you want it so desperately? If it was entrusted to InuYasha by your father's will then it should stay with him!" Getsu shouted, her claws digging into her palms as she glared up at him with hard silver eyes.

"You can't understand a single damn thing when it comes to me. I told you why before, you idiot wolf." Sesshomaru snarled coldly, perking her ears.

She widened her eyes slightly before she jerked her gaze away, the sting of tears welling in her eyes; she turned on her heel to walk away into the forest, her fists shaking.  
"Miss Getsu, where are you going?" Jaken called.

"Away from **him**!" Getsu snarled at him before she took off, spiriting away into the growing darkness, the tears falling down her cheeks.

* * *

A/N: _is Sesshomaru nuts to make a pact with the devil (IE: Naraku)? and what will Getsu do; will she look for Koga's pack or go back to him?_  
**review please**_; thanks~ ;D_


	4. Awake - Can You Hear Me?

A/N: _okay, where the last chap ended, Sesshomaru made a pact with Naraku (of sorts), angering Getsu. will he keep up his end of the bargain? and will he get the Tetsusaiga at last? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_** title ref is from Skillet's '__**Awake**__' (2009) album; the second half of the title is ref'd from "__**Falling inside the Black**__" by Skillet **_

* * *

**_Chapter 04: Awake - Can You Hear Me..?_**

Stupid dog. He was such an idiot! She hated him for doing this.

He was strong enough without the Tetsusaiga at his hip; it wasn't meant for him anyway, from what Jaken had mentioned about that barrier his father had kept to ward away demons from the blade.

_Why does he want it if he can't use it?_ She wondered.

The stink of ogre stung her nose; she looked up as she noticed she'd come close to human civilization, sniffing the air and widening her eyes a little before her nose wrinkled in disgust.  
She spirited forward towards the village, hand on her katana, as she followed the familiar scent.

No doubt about it: she smelled a half-breed.

:::::::::oOo:::::::::

"_**BLACKENED WOLF FANG**!_" A large burst of purple energy screamed at the _oni_, severing the left side from the main of the body; the toad imp yelped as he fell, the giant ogre _yokai_ disintegrating.

She landed lithely on her feet, huffing. "Relying on ogres? Well, at least you give them _some_ sort of useful feeling." She mused darkly, ignoring the angered swearing coming from the toad imp behind her.

"Getsu-chan!" The voice of the priestess girl exclaimed, perking her ears; she looked at the bushes to see Kagome, Miroku, and Shippo had relieved looks on their faces at seeing the wolf cut down the giant ogre.

"What the hell're you doing here?" InuYasha barked, glaring over at her standing yards away from him and his brother.

She ignored him, scowling over at his brother. "I hadn't entirely expected to see _you_ here." She growled.

Sesshomaru returned the scowl. "Likewise. Even in your anger, you still followed my scent. I never expected wolves to be this loyal to the point of stupidity." He remarked stiffly.

Getsu snorted, her katana swung over her shoulder casually. "I didn't follow **_your_** scent, you arrogant **dog**! I followed the stink of the ogre." She spat, her clawed hand tightening on the hilt.

"I must admit, that was very brave of you to cut down the ogre like that," Miroku commented as he stepped between the brothers.

She blinked and then smirked slightly, huffing. "It wasn't much; my father always made it a habit to cut down the ogres that dared come into our land when I was younger." She replied.

The sound of buzzing rang in the air as the hornets Naraku had given Sesshomaru flew forward at the monk.

"I'll handle this!" Miroku declared as he opened his palm, a large wind tunnel pulling the insects forward.

"No, don't!" Getsu shouted, widening her eyes as he sank to his knees, gripping his wrist tightly in pain. "Miroku!" She declared, perking up as Sesshomaru walked forward to the half-demon and injured monk. "Sesshomaru, no," she began, yanking on his sleeve to pull him back.

"Get away, Getsu." He shoved her away, making her skid back onto the balls of her feet, as he moved closer.

The hornets flew at InuYasha.

"_Nagareboshi-kaen!_" Blue fire consumed the hornets, making them drop onto the ground, disintegrating into ashes.  
She glared at them, perking up as he neared the hidden monk, half-demon and fox kitsune.

"**NO**!" She cried, widening her eyes as he swung the blade down, a loud explosion ringing in the air.

InuYasha was the first to regain himself, much to her relief; he flew at the dog yokai, being knocked back before they started fighting.  
She felt her shoulders slump at the sight, sighing. _Honestly_, she thought.

An arrow shot past her at the Tetsusaiga, making her look up alertly; sparks flew when the arrow hit the blade, making the blade change into the normal form of a beaten and scuffed katana.

"A sacred arrow?" She wondered, looking over her shoulder to see Kagome had shot the arrow; she smiled slightly. _A priestess indeed_, she thought.

"Sesshomaru! Drop the sword or the next arrow's going in your heart." She threatened, perking her ears.

Her eyes widened slightly; she made to defend him before he extended his arm to prevent her, surprising her.  
_Sesshomaru_, she thought in awe.

"Say goodbye to your shard!" She fired the arrow; he dodged it, leaping forward at her.

"No you don't!" InuYasha flew at him.

Getsu grunted and leaped at him, slamming into his side and knocking him away; they tumbled until she was on his chest, gripping his left shoulder tightly as her katana was pointed at his throat, her shoulders heaving slightly with her panting.

Sesshomaru widened his eyes in surprise, the Tetsusaiga discarded in their scuffle and lying on the ground yards away from his hands; his gold eyes stared up at the angered wolf _yokai_'s silver eyes, focusing on the tears welling in the corner of her eyes and threatening to fall.

"Getsu," InuYasha began in surprise.

"Why…?" He demanded quietly beneath her, perking her ears.

She clenched her teeth, letting a lone tear trail down her right cheek. "I hate that bastard more than you could ever imagine; so when he asked you to work with him, I was afraid that he'd kill you too. I don't want you to die! Please believe me," she explained hoarsely, her hand shaking on the hilt of her katana.

_Getsu_, his gold eyes were still wide at hearing her words, let alone that she had stopped him from striking down that girl.  
_Did she… could she care about me?_ He thought.

She let him up gingerly, sheathing her katana.

"Getsu," he began.

She shook her head, looking away from him before she took off into the forest, refusing to look at him for fear of letting him see her tears fall.  
She refused to let anyone see her cry...

Especially Sesshomaru.

* * *

_'Mother! Father! Kori-nee!' She'd sprinted as fast as she could away from the burning ruins of her home, the expansive mansion her father's family had owned, the smoke from the charred remains hanging in the air._

I will avenge you one day. I promise! _She'd inwardly vowed_.

Her eyes shot open at the memory; she looked around the wood alertly, her nerves calming as she saw that she had still remained undetected, the quietness of the green clearing soothing to her jumbled nerves.

She hugged her arms, leaning back into the tree she'd slept against with a small sigh.  
"I will avenge you both, one day." She whispered to herself, hugging the katana closer to her chest as images of her kind parents' faces flashing in her mind.

"I had begun to wonder where you ran off to this time." A familiar voice declared on the other end of the tree, surprising her.

Getsu looked around the tree's width, her eyes widening.

Sesshomaru rested against the front part of the tree, the large beige stole gathered around his back; his eyes were closed serenely.

She shuffled to her feet, huffing. "Figures a dog like **you** would pick up my scent that quickly." She declared cattily, walking away from her spot to move away from the tree.

He caught her wrist, surprising her again; she halted, looking over her shoulder at him, his clawed hand rather tight on the fabric of her wrist guard. "We need to talk." He pointed out quietly, gold eyes looking up at her.

Getsu blushed slightly, lowering her gaze and exhaling softly; she gingerly shook free of his grip, shuffling to sit down with him, slipping her katana from the sash at her waist.

Sesshomaru almost smirked at the patient-yet-pissy expression she wore on her pretty face, settling back into the stole. "Why did you do that, back there?" He asked.

She looked down at her knees, gathering them to her chest. "Which part?" She wondered.

He looked at her, the dawn's early light highlighting the locks of ebony that ran down her back. "You stopped me from hurting that girl; I want to know why." _I want to know why you were crying_, he mentally added, keeping his gaze from meeting hers.

Getsu shrugged innocently. "I'm not sure myself. I guess that it… it was instinct." She answered softly.

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow. "That's a poor excuse if I ever heard one," he mused thoughtfully.

Her cheeks burned a shade of red; she huffed and cut her gaze to the side, away from him. "I said I wasn't sure! Besides, why did you come for me? Don't you have to go crawling back to Naraku?" She growled, hugging her knees.

He huffed as well, looking down at the shattered chest armor that was a reminder of that battle. "Because you ran away from me. Twice. And about that flea, he only wanted his Jewel shard back. He was going to kill me either way." He explained, the admittance that she was right tasting bitter on his tongue, looking away.

She glanced at him over her shoulder. "I told you he would do that." She remarked quietly.

Sesshomaru scowled, his eye twitching. "I don't need you to remind me." He growled.

Getsu covered her mouth to hide a giggle; he pricked his ears before he exhaled in defeat.

They sat there for a few moments.

"Why did you chase me, anyway? It's not like I'm special… I'm not your mate or anything like that." She asked softly, perking his ears.

He glanced at her, seeing her head tucked into her knees; he looked away, shrugging. "It… I suppose it left me unnerved, to see you angry. And then to see you shed tears," he mumbled the last bit, pricking her ears.

Getsu blushed again, curling her toes in the dirt beneath her feet. "I had a feeling you would bring that up." She murmured more to herself.

"It wasn't for your parents, was it?" Sesshomaru wondered in an unfamiliarly soft voice, stealing a glance over his shoulder at her.

She shook her head, kicking the ground a little. "I… I don't want to see you die. Especially not because of Naraku. I've gotten so used to you being around and annoying me that if you were gone, I don't know how I would handle it." She whispered, her silver eyes focusing on a tree yards away and staring intently at it as if it would burst into flame if she kept her eyes on it.

His slightly widened gold eyes calmed at hearing her words before he lowered his gaze. "So I annoy you?" He guessed.

Getsu made a face, pouting. "_That's_ all you got from what I just said?" She asked, a vein twitching annoyedly on her brow.

Sesshomaru smirked to himself at hearing the impatience thinning in her voice, lifting his hand to brush locks of ebony from her shoulder, slightly surprising her. "You truly can't live without being in a pack." He mused thoughtfully.

She blushed, lowering her gaze. "Don't give yourself so much credit, dog. I'm still angry at you for using that faulty arm." She reminded cattily.

He smiled a little, finding her annoyed voice to be rather becoming of her, reaching to stroke her cheek. "Can I ask you something?" He wondered, seeing her slightly start when his fingers grazed her cheekbone before her cheek warmed under his touch and she looked away shyly.

"W-what is it?" She asked slowly, mentally kicking herself for stammering, for showing weakness to the arrogant dog next to her.

"Could you look at my arm?" He asked quietly, pricking her ears; she looked up, blushing a little before she nodded.

"Yeah," she replied, shuffling and moving to draw closer to his left side.

Sesshomaru shed the left side of his _kosode_, letting her inspect the stump of his left arm; her cheeks burned at seeing flashes of his bare chest before she cleared her throat and focused her gaze on the burnt part of his remaining limb, a slight flinch making her cheek twitch.

Getsu lifted her right hand, her palm warming, as she ran it over the burnt skin, glancing up at his expression; he fought a wince at feeling the searing heat from her healing hand before he bit the inside of his jaw, quieting as a cool rush washed over the left side of his body.

She pulled away from his side after a few long minutes of mending his burnt stump, looking at where his forearm would've been and flinching, lowering her gaze as she pulled his _kosode_ collar back up to cover his chest.

He caught her wrist again with his right hand, slightly surprising her; she looked at him, staring into his gold eyes that looked warm and even inviting, eliciting a shiver that raced down her spine to her tail.

"Getsu," Sesshomaru inclined his head to press his lips to hers, surprising her again.

Getsu's eyes widened, a fresh blush staining her cheeks red, before her eyes closed and she leaned into the kiss, feeling him take her hand and hold it.

He released her hand to cup her cheek, brushing strands of black hair from her face, deepening the kiss and guiding her closer, his tongue roving over her lips gingerly.

She trembled and arched her back, burying her hands in his silver hair as he took control of her mouth with needing bites and kisses, soft squeaks escaping her and threatening to die in her throat as he held her close.

Sesshomaru gently pushed her away, moaning softly and regretting letting her slip away from his mouth.  
Getsu blushed and panted softly, lowering her head to rest on his shoulder as she held onto his chest.

He looked down at her in his lap and smiled slightly, his good hand brushing locks of hair from her face as she nuzzled into the side of his neck.

_I don't want to see you die, not ever. I'll protect you if I have to_, she thought before closing her eyes and hugging the right side of his ribs.

::::::::oOo::::::::

The sun was dying slowly, staining the sky a burnt orange color as the sun stubbornly refused to bow to the moon.

He roused, gold eyes opening slowly and stiffly; the memory of having the human arm almost burn him alive flashed in his mind. He stirred more, realizing that the burning pain the discarded limb had left on his upper left arm was... gone?

Her tearful silver eyes flashed in his mind next, the image lingering longer than the memory of that useless human arm had.  
_Of course_, he thought, remembering that she had healed his limb earlier, thus explaining why the pain wasn't there anymore.

_Getsu_.

He heard someone stir, perking his ears as he looked down at his lap to see the aforementioned wolf _yokai_ sleeping peacefully with her head on his thigh and her eyes closed, ebony locks partially hiding her face from his sight.

Gold eyes softening at the sight, he lowered his hand to brush the ebony hair from her face, letting him see her better.

She looked so peaceful; it was rare for him to see her look so… different. It was actually very becoming of her.

The rustling of bush sounded, perking his ears; he looked up alertly from staring down at the sleeping wolf princess, his nose registering that it was only that imp, his shoulders sagging in relief.

"Milord, I had wondered where you'd gotten to… **EH**!?" Jaken cried, nearly stumbling back at the sight of the wolf demon sleeping in his master's lap.

"Keep quiet, idiot!" Sesshomaru snapped, a growl in his throat, quieting the loud imp; his eyes were hard gold stones. "She's still sleeping." He added quietly.

He inched closer to the two _yokai_, keeping the staff held tight in hand. "Um, Milord, how did…?" He began to ask.

"It's none of your business, Jaken." He replied, glancing down at the _yokai_ before his eyes lifted to the toad, switching from the softness he showed to her to the sternness the imp was well accustomed to seeing darken his master's face. "Get the fire going." He ordered stiffly, looking away.

Jaken fumbled with the gathered firewood in his arms. "Y-yes, Milord!" He obeyed, shuffling quickly and getting the wood fixed into the spot of dry dirt on the ground.

Sesshomaru ignored the toad's small yelps of pain when he seemed to give himself burns or whatever ailments afflicted the imp, looking down at the sleeping wolf _yokai_.

Getsu stirred as the fire was started, pricking her ears as her brow twitched; she opened an eye, looking at the fabric of his _hakama_ before both eyes opened wide and blinked a couple of times.  
She'd remembered falling asleep, but not falling asleep in his _lap!_

"**G-GAH**!" She yelped, scrambling away from the slightly irked dog _yokai_ and surprised toad imp, jumping to her feet.

"S-Sesshomaru—explain why the friggin' hell I was in your damn lap!" Getsu yelped, pointing an accusatory clawed finger at the handsome _yokai_ lord's face that shook slightly, her cheeks burning a brilliant shade of pinkish red.

A sweatdrop formed on his brow. "You fell asleep." He replied simply, making her remember the kiss they'd shared, seeing her cheeks burn a darker hue of red that sort of made her look… cute.

She squeaked at the memory and shook her head fervently, spluttering a huff. "I-I need some air," she grumbled, turning on her heel to power-walk away from the small clearing, trudging through the foliage in her path.

Jaken blinked his big yellow eyes. "W-what was that all about…? Milord—?" He looked up as the dog _yokai_ exhaled and gingerly straightened to his feet, following her leave.  
"Keep the fire going." Sesshomaru instructed over his shoulder, a quiet exhale he didn't let the imp hear escape his lungs.

Sometimes she acted too much like a human, and that happened to get on his nerves… Occasionally.

* * *

A/N: _finally they kiss! /gets bricked by both _yokai_ lol anyway, not much else to put except_ **review please**_; thanks~_


	5. Radioactive Dragon Hide

A/N: _sorry for the wait! /bows slightly anyway, where we last left off -aside from the author getting bricked by two pissy-yet-in-love-yokai- our two lovebirds finally kissed. i know i sort of trolled them but hey what author __**DOESN'T**__ do that to the main pairing? *coughs* anywho, on with the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

* * *

**_Chapter 05: Radioactive Dragon Hide_**

She splashed water in her face, shaking her head like a dog ridding itself of water from its ears; she exhaled steadily and looked down at her reflection in the small pond's surface, seeing her silver eyes staring up at her.

Her cheeks were still a light pink.

"Damn dog," she grumbled to herself, her cheeks burning a darker shade of pink at the memory of kissing the aforementioned _yokai_ lord.

Her right fist slammed into the pond's surface, thin wisps of smoke rising from the water, a sign she'd really been pissed; ripples danced across the patch of water's face, extending to the furthest recesses of the pond.

The water calmed slowly, letting her see her reflection again; the sight of a silver-haired _yokai_ standing behind her made her start.

Her shoulders eased despite the annoyance she felt towards falling asleep in his lap, a soft sigh escaping her. "You scared me for a minute," she mused quietly, looking at his gold eyes' reflection in the pond's now-calm surface.

"Sorry." He mumbled an apology, sitting down next to her. "I just came to check and see if you were all right." He explained, his voice quiet.

Getsu blinked before her cheeks turned that shade of pink again, looking down at the pond. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

Sesshomaru looked at her, at the way the various strands of ebony glistened from drying when she'd washed her face, a softness appearing in his gold eyes. "That's still a poor excuse," he pointed out.

Her cheeks burned again and she spluttered a huff, looking away from him. "Piss off." She growled softly.  
He smirked this time, looking at her gathered hands in her lap and reaching to take her right hand in his own, slightly surprising her.

Getsu quieted, smiling softly at the familiar gesture and squeezed his fingers in her own gently. "Sorry if I ran off like that," she mumbled an apology.

Sesshomaru blinked at her reaction, smiling a little. "I'm used to it at this point in time." He replied, ignoring the eye-twitched-glare she sent in his direction. "Why did you run away, anyway? It wasn't bad, was it?" He asked, his tone subdued as he recalled the eagerness behind his kissing.

Her cheeks colored a shade of red and she shrugged. "N-No, it… it was nice. I guess I freaked out, because of where I was sleeping… But the kiss, it—it was nice. I've never really been kissed before, so I don't know how to really reply to that." She explained, rubbing her arm he'd captured gingerly.

_Well that explains a lot_, he mused, squeezing her hand and meeting her silver eyes. "You look different in the moonlight." He said thoughtfully, perking her ears.

Getsu blushed again, lowering her gaze and huffing. "Shut up," she grumbled.  
Sesshomaru smirked again. "I'm not joking." He replied.

Her eyes widened slightly; she looked up at him, her cheeks colored pink. "Sesshomaru," she began.

He let her see the smirk, gold eyes softened as they had been earlier when he'd seen she'd fallen asleep in his lap; he inclined his head to kiss her again.

She blushed again and gently held onto locks of his silver hair, kissing back, easily sinking into the familiar way he'd kissed her earlier that day.

Sesshomaru held her close and curled his fingers in her ebony hair.  
Getsu gingerly pulled away to press her forehead to his, closing her eyes as she held onto him.

:::::::oOo:::::::

A sweatdrop formed on her brow at the sight of the smoke rising from the toad's feet. "He's a toad, isn't he? Aren't toads resilient towards heat?" She wondered, arms folded across her chest.

He fought a smirk at the amusing sight. "Normal toads are, but Jaken… I have yet to know." He mused.

She snickered, trotting lightly over the burning ground; even though it should've burned her feet, the hot ground did little to hurt. Perhaps it was because of her usage towards fire that she didn't feel burned.

He shook his head, smirking a little. _She really is a strange woman_, he thought, following wordlessly.  
"So Totosai is gone," he mused as they reached the toad imp.

Another sweatdrop formed on her brow. "Isn't he the sword welder that forged the Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga from your father's fangs?" She asked curiously.

He nodded. "The very same. And he intends not to forge a sword to my liking, so he escaped." He declared as Jaken stopped apologizing at last.

"Well can you really blame him for not liking you..? His résumé is one long death wish…" Jaken trailed off and looked up at him, expecting a beating.

Getsu sweatdropped, perking up a little as he smiled a little, tilting her head to one side in confusion.  
Sesshomaru turned to walk away from them. "Aren't you coming?" He wondered, glancing at her.

She blinked before smiling slightly, trotting after him until she was at his side. "What was that for?" She asked, indicating the smile he showed a moment ago.

He smirked, seeing her glance back at the imp to see he followed them. "Scare tactic." He replied simply.

Getsu couldn't help but giggle. "That explains a lot." She chortled.

Sesshomaru smirked again, looking away; ever since they'd kissed, she'd been more open with him. Of course she didn't go into too much of her past around him, but she was a bit kinder than before; if that was all it took for her to not be so loud then he should've kissed her the second after they'd met.

"Oi, are you there?" She waved her hand infront of his face.

He blinked before he made a face, grabbing her hand reflexively and pulling it down. "That wasn't necessary." He remarked.  
She rolled her eyes patiently. "Whatever." She mumbled.

But then again, there were those instances where she acted like her old self.

* * *

The scent of half-demon stung her nose.

"InuYasha?" She wondered softly, recalling the last time they'd seen his half sibling and frowning a little.

Why did Totosai come see _him_ of all people; was it because of the Tetsusaiga?

"InuYasha, why have you been conspiring with Totosai to plot against me?" Sesshomaru asked him.  
"Because you happen to be evil incarnate!" Totosai, a withered old welder, piped up from hiding behind the aforementioned half-demon.

"Oi, I resent that!" Getsu piped up from behind Sesshomaru, poking her head up past his stole.

"Getsu-chan!" Kagome barked.

She blinked and smiled lightly. "Hey, Kagome! Shippo! Miroku!" She greeted with a wave.

A sweatdrop formed on his brow; _so much for a dramatic entrance_, he thought.

The second woman with the four shot a look at the monk. "You _know_ that demon?" She asked cattily.  
The monk sweatdropped and smiled sheepishly. "Um, it's a long story…"

**_THWACK_**.

"Idiot pervert!" She snapped.  
He sighed, head drooping after earning the blow from her _hiraikotsu_, the large boomerang she held in hand.

"Getsu…" Sesshomaru began; she blinked at hearing the catty tone in his voice and sweatdropped.

"Sorry!" Getsu mumbled, ducking back down.

"Totosai, it sounds like you're looking forward to an early retirement… into your grave." He addressed the welder, making him flinch.  
She sweatdropped again; _honestly, and you wonder why he called you 'evil incarnate'_, she thought, perking her ears as he stepped off the back of the two-headed dragon Ah-Un. "Um, Sesshomaru…" She began.

"He will forge my sword after I kill you." Sesshomaru pointed out in a surprisingly jovial tone, surprising her; he flew down, shattering the patch of earth he landed on, as he flew at the half-demon.

Getsu exhaled and tossed her hair back aimlessly. "You two really are idiots," she mumbled.

Even though Sesshomaru hated to admit that InuYasha was related to him, he could never deny the fact that both their hair color as well as hot temper made them related.

::::::oOo:::::::

"So Tensaiga is a sword that heals?" She asked as Jaken got up again and she looked at him.

He nodded. "It can save one hundred lives in one strike; though as to why my father left it to me after he passed, I don't know. It's useless to me." He explained with something like a grimace.

Getsu blinked and looked at the sword at his hip. "Can I see it?" She asked.

Sesshomaru slipped the katana from his sash, handing it to her. "That welder mentioned something about how it takes a kind-hearted spirit to wield the Tensaiga." He mused, watching her unsheathe the blade and inspect it.

She looked pensive. "Hmm, well that explains things." She said thoughtfully, seeing her silver eyes gleam at her on the blade of the katana before she sheathed it and handed it back to him; he took it back, returning it to its position at his left hip.

_If it takes a kind-hearted person to wield the Tensaiga, then is he not kind-hearted?_ She wondered, looking at the gray hilt of the katana.

Her brow knitted a little and she looked away, folding her arms behind her head. _Sesshomaru has been.. Well, himself, around me, but is he really kind-hearted deep down? Or is he trying so hard to become powerful like his father that he's given up being kind?_ She thought.

A quiet exhale escaped her.

He wasn't cold-hearted, not to her. Sure he was rough around the edges, he was arrogant, stoic and ruthless, but he was nothing like the cruel bastard that Naraku was.  
_He wasn't that kind of demon!_

She knew deep down there was some good in him, even though he rarely showed it... There just had to be.  
_Sesshomaru_, she thought.

The sound of something disturbing the water perked her ears; they looked as a giant green dragon appeared from out of the water, roaring and rearing up to stand to at least forty feet high.

"Oh great," she grumbled, drawing her katana and sinking into a fighting stance.

The tail swung down on them; he grabbed her scruff, yanking her out of the way and making her yelp slightly.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu barked as he charged at the dragon, grunting and flying forward, swinging her katana overhead. "**MOVE**!" She exclaimed as he used the whip of light to slice at the dragon's hide.

"_BLACKENED WOLF FANG!_" She shouted, a wide arc of purple light streaking at the dragon; it screeched in pain before being severed in half down the middle, the pieces crashing into the water below.

He landed on the shore lithely as she sheathed her katana wordlessly. "That Blackened Wolf Fang attack seems to be getting stronger each time you use it." He commented, pricking her ears.

She smirked slightly, folding her arms. "It should be, I've been practicing for a few years now." She mused, glancing at the teal hilt of her katana, her eyes softening. "Father told me I'd be able to wield it when I was strong enough, one day." She added quietly.

Sesshomaru quirked a brow before he quieted, seeing the wistful glint shimmer in her silver eyes at the mention of her father. _She's kind of like me after all_, he mused, smirking a little; he drew closer to the dead dragon, yanking a paw from the corpse.

Getsu blinked. "Sesshomaru," she began in confusion.

"This dragon has given me a gift; now I can go back and claim what is rightfully owed to me." He declared, holding the arm rather lightly.  
Her eyes widened slightly at the indication that he was going to use it to wield the sword, her brow knitting again.

A patient exhale escaped her.  
_Honestly_, she thought.

* * *

A/N: _Sesshomaru is at it again... /Getsu gives a patient sigh  
from what i gathered of getting the ref needed from this episode (ep 34/35) it appears that a dragon's claw (which didn't entirely surprise me but then again i had a feeling about this) is strong enough to withstand a highly resilient barrier like the one InuYasha's father cast on the Tetsusaiga. *coughs* but about the dragon claw, it doesn't surprise me because i knew that dragon hide was reputed to be hard like titanium or something similar to that. _  
_  
anyway, enough with my rambling. **review please**; thanks~! ;D_


	6. Rising, pt1

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru had taken a paw from the dragon he and Getsu destroyed, having a plan to use it to steal the Tetsusaiga from InuYasha once and for all.. but will it work? or will his plan backfire? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_** title ref - "__**Rising**__" by the __**Yoshida Brothers**__ **_

* * *

**_Chapter 06: Rising, pt.1_**

Sparks flew from the grip the dragon paw had on the blade of the Tetsusaiga.

"Those two never lighten up, no matter how long it'd take," she grumbled, surprising the humans plus fox kitsune and welder.

"G-Getsu-chan, what're you doing on this side?" Kagome squeaked in surprise, perking her ears.

Getsu shrugged. "It'd be safer for you lot if I was on this side; the way dumb and dumber are going, it could get rough." She explained, crossing her arms at her chest and nodding matter-of-factly.

"Um, so are you the demon Kagome has mentioned that travels with InuYasha's older brother?" The voice of the third woman present wondered, perking her ears again.

She flashed a light smile in her direction. "Yep, the name's Getsu. We didn't get the chance to be introduced the other day," she replied, surprising the woman at seeing a kind demon, a rarity in and of itself.

"Oh, right! I'm Sango, and that's Kirara." She added as the aforementioned cat demon mewled and hopped into the wolf demon's arms.

Getsu blinked at her sudden affection before she chuckled as the cat demon licked her cheek sweetly. "It's nice to meet you two. H-hey that tickles!" She laughed.

Miroku sighed from standing between Kagome and Sango. "It's a damn shame that you have feelings for Sesshomaru as well as are a full-blooded demon, otherwise I'd beg for you to bear my children for me." He said in lament, pricking both Sango and Getsu's ears; both females looked at him slowly as Kirara hopped out of the demon's grip to prance over to Shippo's side.

Kagome sweatdropped. _Here it goes_, she thought.

"**PERVERT**!"

"**LECHEROUS MONK**!"

**_THWACK_**.

**_WHAM_**.

"**_OW_**, _now ladies restrain yourselves!_" The ever-amorous monk cried out in pain as he now sported two large bumps on his head that made him resemble a panda.

Shippo sweatdropped as well. "Well it looks like Getsu-onee and Sango have a lot more in common than they think," he said thoughtfully as both aforementioned females huffed and crossed their arms over their chests.

"Got that right," Kagome chimed with a patient look on her young face.

Getsu looked at the demon slayer and smiled a little, rubbing her neck. "Doesn't look like this lecherous idiot's charm works on you either." She guessed.

Sango blinked before she returned the small smile and laughed sheepishly. "It appears so. To be honest, it looks like your kindness is wasted on a man like Sesshomaru." She returned, pricking her ears.

She looked over at him and then shrugged, her eyes softened. "Nah, I kinda like to think that he's… a work in progress. Even though he's cold-hearted on the outside, I like to think that there's some kindness inside of him that he doesn't want the world to see." _Except to let me see it, that is_, she added inwardly, seeming to surprise the group again.

_Did we underestimate Sesshomaru after all?_ Kagome wondered, seeing the way that the wolf _yokai_ had looked at the aforementioned _yokai_ lord; she didn't seem to fit him very well, but for some reason she couldn't put her finger on, she looked like she really did care about him.

_But does he care about her in return?_ She thought.

He lifted the clawed arm up. "Go ahead and try it. This replacement arm will act as a shield against the Tetsusaiga." He warned lowly.

"That's a dragon's claw!" Sango said in surprise. "A dragon's claw will have more power than a typical demon's. I wonder how he's going to use that in battle." She wondered.

"The dragon was too easy to defeat; with one strike from my father's katana he was felled. I doubt that arm is going to last very long; the last arm that Naraku gave him almost tried to burn him alive." Getsu mused grimly, her arms tightening around her ribs, surprising both girls.

"It tried to burn him alive?" Kagome asked, pricking her ears.

She nodded. "Naraku gave him a Shikon Jewel shard if you recall; the slime wanted the damn shard back and as I said, tried to kill Sesshomaru in the process." She explained, a soft growl in her throat brewing at the memory.

Both priestess and demon slayer looked at the ensuing battle again, mirroring the wolf _yokai_.

"Sesshomaru must be able to see the Wind Scar!" Totosai gasped from Kagome's left, pricking her ears.

"The 'Wind Scar'; what's that?" Both Kagome and Getsu asked in unison.

He looked at the two females. "In a nutshell, the Wind Scar is the secret to Tetsusaiga's ultimate power. Slaying one hundred demons in one sweep would be virtually impossible without using the Wind Scar. Sesshomaru must be able to see it!" He explained.

"If Sesshomaru can see the Wind Scar, can't you teach InuYasha to see it too?" Kagome asked.

Getsu snorted softly. "If I understand this correctly, Sesshomaru must be able to see it because he's a full-bred demon. It might take InuYasha longer to see it because he hasn't mastered the Tetsusaiga as well as the fact that he's only a half demon." She mused.

"It is impossible to teach; InuYasha must reach it within himself! And if InuYasha doesn't discover it in time, he will surely die." Totosai chimed darkly.

Sesshomaru lunged at him, swinging the green dragon claw forward at the blade of Tetsusaiga, the hollow din of metal clashing with something sharp enough as the dragon claw ringing in the air.

This continued until InuYasha was forced back for the second time in a row.

"InuYasha!" Sango prepared to run forward, _hiraikotsu_ in hand.  
"Stay out of this; I'll kill Sesshomaru with the Tetsusaiga!" InuYasha barked sternly, pricking her ears.

"Sesshomaru, you'll weaken the blade to the point of uselessness! Stop!" Getsu declared as she made to step between the brothers.

"Getsu, stay out of my way." Sesshomaru snapped, slightly surprising her; she quieted and looked away, her hand on the hilt of her katana tightening. He didn't wish to be cross with her, but this was something he had to finish… whether he died doing it or not.

He knocked InuYasha back again, driving him back until he swung the clawed arm at the blade, the hollow din ringing in her ears; he widened his eyes as InuYasha roared and swung the Tetsusaiga forward, a wide yellow light screaming at him and forcing him back.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu shouted, sprinting for his side, widening her eyes as she saw a black barrier shield him from taking the brunt of the attack. _Was that the Tensaiga?_ She wondered, picking up the pace.

She reached to grab his arm as he took off into the air, her claws grabbing hold of his stole as she held on tight.

* * *

Her head was spinning.

She shook herself like a dog ridding itself of water, looking around wildly for her companion.

He was resting against the large tree she caught sight of, almost buried in the stole.

"Sesshomaru," she scrambled to his side, her subconscious pulling up a red flag as she sensed a dangerous vibe coming from him. "Sesshomaru?" She tentatively reached for his face, reminiscent of the day they first met.

A loud snarl escaped his throat as he lunged, making her yelp as he pulled her by her wrist to the stole, burying her in the soft fur, her back on the ground as he loomed over her; her eyes widened slightly at seeing his eyes were a blood red.

She calmed and felt the blush on her cheeks fade, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek. "Sesshomaru," she began gently.

He stiffened when her clawed fingers grazed his cheekbone, a last growl dying in his throat before his eyes shifted to their normal gold-pupil sight; he shook his head, looking down at the wolf _yokai_ beneath his body. "Getsu," he breathed, recalling the slight stab of pain radiating from his chest and shoulders and grimaced, getting off her. "Damn it." He grumbled, briefly letting her see the pained grimace that made his lip curl.

"Easy, boy," she shushed him, holding his shoulders gingerly and looking at him with concern. Her eyes lowered to the broken chest plate that guarded his heart and she frowned a little, exhaling. "You're too stubborn for your own good sometimes." She mumbled, gingerly shrugging his _kosode_ from his shoulders, reaching to undo the remains of the chest plate and pull them off and tossing the remains onto the ground.

Sesshomaru quieted reluctantly at her undressing of his _kosode_, the familiar cool rush overcoming him as he felt her palms rove over his injured torso. "I'm sorry." He said quietly.

Getsu pricked an ear, keeping her eyes on the bruises and cuts that scarred his fair skin. "For what, acting like a hotshot? I'm used to it." She guessed with a slight shrug.

He shook his head. "Not that. I… You saw that side of me." He replied, his voice quiet.

She saw his red eyes in her mind and lowered her gaze to the design on his yellow sash tied at his waist, shrugging again. "It wasn't scary, if that lightens things. It's not like I don't have that side of myself as well. It's not something I haven't seen before." She assured him, lightly tracing her nail over his heart.

Sesshomaru looked at her and smirked to himself, lifting his arm to stroke her hair.

"Hold still, I'm trying to heal you." Getsu scolded with a pout, silver eyes scowling reprovingly up at his gold.

He let the smirk remain, seeing her cheeks color a shade of pink before she bowed her gaze shyly and returned to the task at hand. "I would imagine your true form is very beautiful." He mused, pricking her ears.

Her cheeks colored a darker shade of pink as her tail swished; she spluttered a huff, scowling. "Shush," she grumbled.

It took her another several minutes before she pulled away from him to help him shrug his _kosode_ back on, watching him pull the collar close with his hand.

Sesshomaru looked at her lowered gaze, almost smelling the sadness he felt coming from her body. "If you stare any harder at my _kosode_, it'll burst into flame." He commented, perking her ears and stirring her from her thoughts.

Getsu blushed and shook her head again, settling back into the stole and crossing her arms behind her head. "Just thinking." She mused.

He tilted his head to one side, an eyebrow quirked. "How many ways you're going to beat me into listening to your advice?" He guessed.

A wry chuckle escaped her as she smirked. "Maybe that, yeah." She lowered her gaze to the navy fabric of her _hakama_ and sighed. "For a minute back there, I almost thought InuYasha had done you in with a blast from the Wind Scar." Her shoulders tensed slightly. "Scared the hell outta me, to be honest." She added the last bit with a soft growl.

Sesshomaru quieted again, also lowering his gaze, looking at the way the dying sunlight gleamed on the black iron greaves she shielded her shins with. "Something as trivial as a blast from the Tetsusaiga wouldn't be enough to kill me." He reasoned, seeing her left cheek twitch at the thought; he exhaled and reached to stroke her cheek, perking her ears again.

Getsu's cheeks burned slightly at his touch, removing the pillow her arms had made of one hand to hold his fingers under hers, squeezing gently. "I know that, but the idea still scares me. If it's one thing I fear, it's seeing you dead. I mean, who else is gonna annoy me like you do, or kiss me like you do?" She stated, her silver eyes stubborn, allowing a brief flash of fear to shine in her gaze for him to see.

He inwardly shuddered at seeing that fear in her eyes, lowering his gaze again before he scooted closer, surprising her a little; her cheeks warmed again at having his body so close to hers, seeing his head incline before his forehead touched hers gently.

"S-Sesshomaru," she began hesitantly, looking up into his gold eyes that gleamed like warm shards of flame.

"Now you understand how I feel. I don't want you to be afraid of me, or for me." He declared quietly, his tone low as his gold eyes tightened at the idea of seeing her in fear of his true form or of his death.

Getsu shivered, lifting her chin to press her lips to his in need, eager to hold him close and bury herself in his scent.

Sesshomaru groaned softly, deepening the kiss out of reflex and pinning her to the stole, making her slip slightly and land on her back again, a squeak escaping her.

He chuckled a little at hearing such an intriguing noise come from a mighty wolf princess like her, feeling her hands explore his back gingerly as he bit on her lip gently, kissing her eagerly.

She blushed and smiled, her hands at his back lifting back to bury her fingers in his silver hair, almost feeling the stole swallow her petite form as he dug his hand into the ground next to her left side.

Sesshomaru groaned again, his subconscious screaming at him to make her his as he felt like it had gotten a degree warmer with the stole encircled around them.

Getsu blushed more, her own subconscious overtaking her mind and making a whimper brew in the back of her throat, her tail curling between her legs. "S-Sesshomaru," she breathed, breaking the kiss reluctantly and feeling his mouth rove down to her unguarded neck almost eagerly.

"What?" He growled softly, his sharp canines marking the crook of her neck, hearing her squeak and then moan at the claim he'd made, kissing her throat.

Her claws dug into his scalp as she panted. "N-Not now," she rasped, making him stiffen for one miniscule second between biting her neck again.

Sesshomaru jerked his gaze up from her precious throat to stare into her needing silver eyes. "Why?" He asked, his subconscious furiously beating at the insides of his mind for him to forget his morals and mate with her now.

Getsu trembled at hearing the same alluring tone in his voice as she'd heard the other day, running her fingers through his hair. "You're still recuperating, idiot. I'd rather not get you worked up while you're still technically injured." She reasoned patiently, surprising herself at sounding so collected.

He scowled, realizing –regrettably—that she was right in denying him his instinctive right to make her his mate, a shaky exhale escaping his lungs as he lowered his gaze in defeat. "I hate it when you're right." He growled. _Especially when I so desperately want you_, he inwardly added, cursing moral standards for a brief moment.

She smiled softly and pulled him closer to hug his shoulders, squeezing gently. "Get used to it, dog boy, because I'm not going anywhere." She promised, nosing the crook of his neck.

Sesshomaru quieted before he smirked a little, holding onto her waist. "I'm grateful for that." He mused, hearing her chuckle softly.

_I really am grateful for hearing that you'll stay. Even after seeing a side of me that I've never shown to anyone I cared for_, he thought.

:::::::oOo:::::::::

She sniffed the air, pricking her ears; she looked at him to see he was still resting, smiling softly at him before the scent of a human stung her nose.

_Of all times_, she thought, gingerly slipping free of having slept with him in the stole's warmth, shuffling to her feet and looking around at the clearing, her silver eyes focusing on a little bit of food left yards away from them.

_An offering to a god of some sort?_ She guessed, pricking her ears again as a rustling of brush sounded nearby as she quietly edged closer to the food, her eyes on the dried fish that made her stomach growl softly.

The sight of a little girl with brown hair in a small side ponytail on her right temple appeared, carrying some sort of herbs on a large green leaf; she gasped in surprise at seeing the wolf demon awake, meeting her silver eyes.

Getsu tilted her head to one side. "Are those for him?" She asked gently, nodding over to her sleeping companion.

The girl nodded, hesitantly handing her the leaf.

She smiled softly at her, bowing her head slightly. "Thank you. I'm sorry if he seems scary or mean; he's not like that…" She apologized sheepishly.

"Leave the girl, Getsu." He spoke behind them, making her flinch slightly; she sweatdropped and looked to see he was awake at last, gold eyes glancing at the girl. "I told you yesterday, I don't need any help." He added sharply.

She extended her arm out to defend the human, scowling patiently at him. "She's just worried. It's not every day y'see a reckless dog demon lying around injured." She defended calmly.

His eye twitched at her words, disbelieving that she was actually defending a human girl; he reluctantly backed down, glancing at the girl again and seeing her right eye was swollen shut. "Where did you get those bruises?" He asked her, pricking the wolf _yokai_'s ears and making her look at the girl; she quieted and frowned slightly, silver eyes tight. _Stupid human men, they never learn_, she thought.

The girl looked at him in surprise.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He added when she didn't answer, looking at her.

The girl laughed a little, smiling at him.

Getsu blinked before she smiled softly at her. _This girl, she's not afraid of him. Or of me; I don't smell fear coming from her… What kind of human is she?_ She wondered.

"What're you smiling about; I just asked a question. I don't care, I'm just curious." Sesshomaru pressed annoyedly.

**_THWACK_**.

"Don't talk like that! Idiot, geez; can't you see that she's happy?" She scolded, seeing his eye twitch in the same annoyance as a bump swelled on his head.

He scowled at her. "That wasn't necessary… And it hurt." He added lowly.

Getsu huffed and crossed her arms at her chest. "That's what you get for being so mean to a girl ya hardly know." She declared knowingly.  
The girl started giggling at the sight, surprising both demons.

Sesshomaru quieted, shooting a look at the wolf princess before his eyes softened a little at seeing the girl find amusement at his expense; he looked away and huffed. "I don't see the humor in this." He grumbled.

Getsu giggled softly.

* * *

A/N: _and so enters Rin. i personally find her adorable, i like her character and am glad Takahashi put in a female character that'll hopefully soften up our favorite fluffy demon's reputed black heart.  
also, smut moment~! lol i can imagine Sesshomaru would kill me if i let that smut moment turn into a full-on lemon.. *squeaks and leaps away as the aforementioned demon swings Tokijin at me* h-hey, Sesshomaru~! Dx_

anyway, not much else to put except to _**review please**__; thanks~_


	7. Rising, pt2 - Hero

A/N: _so where we last left off, we were introduced to Rin. as a head's up, Koga comes back into the picture, but the reunion isn't so pleasant. enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyrighted to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

** second half of the title ref - "_**Hero**__" by __**Skillet**__ **_

* * *

**_Chapter 07: Rising, pt2 - Hero_**

He looked up at her as she stood to her feet alertly, her tail lifted slightly as her ears were pricked on alert. "What is it?" He asked.

She scowled slightly, looking at him. "I'll be back. Stay, okay?" She smiled for him, turning to sprint away towards the village the girl had retreated to, her feet picking up the pace as the old scents from before stung her nose.

There was no doubt about it, she smelled _**wolf**__._

The sound of wolves barking rang in her ears as she drew closer to the village.  
"Koga!" She barked as she could definitely smell his scent.

The aforementioned pack leader turned at the familiar voice, seeing the ebony-haired wolf princess skid to a halt short of the outskirts of the forest. "G-Getsu?" He balked, surprised that she was alive.

She smiled in relief at seeing he was still alive, perking up at the sight of his wolves; she bristled and flashed her teeth at the wolves, making them whimper and growl in reluctant submission, walking forward to her friend. "I'm glad you're alive. I figured your pack had survived that ambush," she declared, perking up as he embraced her rather suddenly. "K-Koga," she began in surprise.

He squeezed slightly before the stink of dog stung his nose, making them pull apart. "I figured the same… But damn it, Getsu, you reek of _dog!_" He declared, his nose wrinkled at the stink that radiated from her petite form.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought, feeling her cheeks warm slightly before she shook her head. "It's a long story." She assured, looking at the wolves as they attacked a man that tried to swim away down the irrigation creek.  
"Why did you send your pack out to attack these people?" She asked, looking at his blue eyes.

Koga huffed and stepped away from her to address the man his wolves had picked up, a snicker escaping him. "I had to search high and low for you, ya dirty thief. Now hand over the Sacred Jewel shard that you stole from me." He declared, lifting his head up by the scruff and smirking at him.

"Koga," she began as the man reached inside his robes and gave him a shiny piece of the Shikon Jewel.

What was up with him? She knew he'd kind of coveted the Shikon Jewel when she was living with him, but he seemed more obsessed with it now. Was it to get stronger? He was already strong enough, by her standards.

He walked away, telling his wolves to feed to their heart's content as he went on ahead.

Her eyes widened. "Koga!" She barked, perking his ears as he walked away, pausing; he looked at her. "What is it?" He asked.

Getsu scowled at him, her hands balling into fists. "Why are you doing this? We never attacked humans in broad daylight, a few years ago…" She asked warily, meeting his blue eyes.

Koga huffed again, turning to stare at her, at the tenseness in her arms and legs, her tail held half-way in the air in defiance. "Times have changed, Getsu. Now that the Shikon Jewel is scattered all over the place, it's our job as demons to take as many shards as we can get." He declared.

She bristled again, glaring at him. "It's not our primary job, Koga. Our job is to instill the safety of those we consider pack! My father would've never agreed to this." She argued.

He turned on her, a growl in his throat. "Your father is **dead** in the damn ground, princess. Or have you forgotten that as well as your pride in being a wolf demon?" He growled, pricking her ears.

Getsu flashed her teeth. "What's that mean, 'forgetting my pride'?" She sneered.

Koga returned the gesture, his tail high. "You know damn well what it means! I can smell that dog's stink all over you. What kind of wolf demon are you to mix with dog demons, as well as humans?" He snapped lowly.

Her fist sailed into his cheek, sending him reeling back in surprise and slight pain; his eyes were wide in shock.

"I haven't forgotten anything! But I now know what kind of wolf you are: **weak**! _You don't deserve the right to lead your pack!_" She snarled, katana drawn and held tight in hand.

He lunged at her, his foot sailing into her cheek; she swerved out of the way, sending him crashing into the water.

"Take that back!" He shouted, shaking his head of water before he flew at her, his clawed fists crashing into her.

Getsu blocked his blows with her katana, shoving him off before she swung her foot at his face, making him fly back. "Why should I lie about something that's been dead right all this time?" She sneered, perking up as he sailed at her.

Koga narrowly missed her lithe body, grazing her cheek with a clawed hand before she flew away at top speed, giving chase as his own speed kicked into overdrive and he flew after her retreating form. "What's wrong, wolf princess? Afraid of a fight!?" He snarled, lunging and snapping at her tail.

She leaped into the air, doing a small back-flip before landing lithely on her feet, facing him with a growl in her throat. "Get real, I was just warming up!" She flew at him, katana sheathed as her fists were on fire and she sent one careening into his cheek, flames licking at his skin.

He shoved her away, his knee plunging into her gut and making her fly back.

Getsu growled and dug her heels into the ground, leaping again and doing a sommer-sault before slamming her weight onto him, taking the breath from his lungs for the briefest moment before he snapped to.

Koga yanked on her tail, making her cry out, before he threw her into a run-down hut, wood crashing and flying when she made contact.

Dust flew in the air around him.

He huffed and stepped closer to end the fight.

"**_NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN_**_!_" A shot of blue fire screamed at him, hitting him in the chest and sending him flying back with a yelp of pain.  
She scrambled out of the wreckage, spiriting away as he tried to regain his senses, taking off into the trees and refusing to look back.

_Koga, I'm sorry...!_

* * *

A rustling of bushes sounded as he made to get up, perking his ears.

He caught the familiar scent of the wolf _yokai_. "You sure took a long time," he mused as she stumbled out from the brush to go towards him; his gold eyes widened slightly as he took in the bruises and cuts that marred her pretty face, the rips in her kimono top and _hakama_, the scratches on her greaves, small splinters of wood sticking out in her black hair.

"What happened to you?" He asked.

She shook her head, shuffling to sink down to the ground next to him with a low moan, her shoulders shaking as she panted. "Long story… But I found my pack." She replied wearily.

Sesshomaru looked at her in slight surprise. "Your pack?" He recalled his earlier thoughts a few weeks back regarding her pack, quieting. "Did they take you back?" He asked quietly.

Getsu shook her head, resting against the tree. "No, I… I left them." She recounted to him the fight with Koga, hugging her knees gingerly as she felt her body slowly regenerate.

"I see." He nodded, looking at her to see her eyes were slightly puffy. "You were right in leaving them, in leaving your friend. His mind has been clouded by his want for those shards that he's forgotten his pride in being a wolf demon." He assured her quietly.

She sniffed and rubbed her nose gingerly as the prickly sting of tears stung her cheeks as the hot tears fell. "My father… My father would hate me for even believing that damn Koga." She declared weakly, hugging her knees closer to her chest and closing her eyes tightly to fight the tears.

Sesshomaru winced slightly at seeing her crying, his arm sliding to hold her shoulders and lean her against his side.

Getsu clung to him, wrapping her arms around his ribs and burying her face into his chest; he quieted and ran his hand through her hair, plucking the various splinters sticking out from amidst the ebony locks on her head.

"I don't have anywhere left to go, now…" She whimpered softly after the tears were gone, sniffing and resting her cheek against his heart.  
He stroked her hair slowly, looking down at her. "Stay with me." He said quietly, pricking her ears.

Getsu looked up at him in surprise, the tears leaving stains down her slightly round cheeks, her silver eyes wide. "S-Sesshomaru…" She quieted and looked down. "You mean it?" She asked softly.

Sesshomaru scowled slightly at her doubt and pressed her closer to his beating heart, holding onto her waist. "I do. I… I don't know what I'd do, if you weren't here with me. Besides, you asked me a while back to let you come with me, and I don't go back on my word." He replied sternly.

She blushed and then nodded, squeezing his ribs. "Thank you." She breathed softly.

He smiled softly at her, holding her close. "That wolf doesn't deserve you, anyway. He sounds a thousand times worse than the 'evil incarnate' that I am." He added quietly.

Getsu blinked before she chuckled, smiling. "You're not those things, though; not to me." She replied with a shrug.

Sesshomaru quieted, slightly surprised that she thought that of him, smiling a little. "I'm glad to hear that." He mused softly.

* * *

A rock hit the toad imp's head, making him yelp and whirl around to see both _yokai_ walking forward; his bulging yellow eyes seemed to get bigger as he saw his master holding the wolf demon's hand in his own.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Before I continue in your service, were you actually testing your sword on me!?" Jaken barked shrilly, standing atop Ah-Un's second head.

"I expected to hear a relieved welcome from you, Jaken, not an _interrogation_." Sesshomaru remarked stiffly.

Getsu approached Ah-Un, stroking the shorter head gently. "And here I was starting to get used to the _silence_." She mused, watching the dragon make a pleased noise before leaning into her touch, making her chuckle softly.

"I didn't ask for _**your**_ opinion, wolf demon!" The imp barked annoyedly, a vein twitching on his brow.

**_THWACK_**.

"How many times do I have to tell you to **not** address her in that manner?" He growled, his eye twitching annoyedly as he cracked his knuckles.

Jaken cowered slightly from getting a blow from his master, rubbing his head. "Y-yes, milord… sorry, milord…" He grumbled. "I-I thought you might be dead…!" He added before she whacked him with her katana's sheath, making him fall off the dragon.

"It's rather scary that you're able to hit with such accuracy; perhaps I should be concerned." He mused behind her.  
She scowled over at him, her brow twitching annoyedly. "Hush, you!" She snapped.

The wind picked up then, catching at his hair; her ears pricked as she sniffed the air.  
_Blood! And wolf scent…?_

He turned to walk away back to the forest.

"Sesshomaru!" She barked, seeing his back turned away from her.

"Stay with Jaken," he instructed over his shoulder.  
Getsu watched him leave before she scowled, sprinting after him.

He was an idiot if he thought she'd just stay behind with the stink of wolf and bloodshed in the air!

::::::oOo::::::::

She skidded to a halt short of seeing the girl lying on the ground; death was reeking from her little body.  
_It's that girl_, she thought, looking at him. "Sesshomaru," she began as she saw Jaken walk past her to inspect the body.

"She was attacked by those wolves! Milord, do you recognize this pathetic human?" The imp asked, looking over at his master.

She saw Koga's face in her mind and her hands balled into fists. "Damn that wolf," she growled under her breath, perking up as he drew his Tensaiga.

"E-eh!? W-what're you doing, sire!?" Jaken yelped.

The sword pulsed, surprising her; he seemed to see something she couldn't see, mentioning something about beings from the underworld.  
"Sesshomaru," she began softly, perking up as he sliced through something that was hanging around the girl's body.

"S-Sire, what're you doing!?" Jaken barked as he gathered the girl in his arm, further surprising the wolf _yokai_.

Getsu gasped as the girl's heart started to beat again, her brow crinkling before her brown eyes opened up at the dog _yokai_. "She's alive," she said in relief, stooping over a little to see her.

The girl stood as he straightened too, staring from Sesshomaru to Getsu to Jaken.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you brought back that girl with the power of the Tensaiga!?" He wondered, both him and Getsu watching as he straightened and turned to walk away, sheathing the Tensaiga.

"Wait up," she declared, trotting after him until she was at his side. "Sesshomaru," she began, catching his wrist.

He looked down at her, at the concern in her silver eyes; he quieted, looking away. "Don't think I saved that human for your sake. It was just a test for Tensaiga." He warned calmly.

Getsu blinked before she huffed quietly, folding her arms at her chest. "I didn't think you did that for me, you jerk. I was just worried, y'know, since you were still recovering." She grumbled, looking away.

Sesshomaru quieted again and smirked softly at hearing that she really did care about him, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek. "So I noticed." He replied quietly.

She blushed, smiling softly and pricking her ears as she felt someone tug on her _hakama_; she looked to see the girl had come forward.  
"Oh, you." She smiled gently, pausing and crouching to look at the girl eye-to-eye, ignoring the patient sigh coming from her companion. "I'm glad you're alright! I was worried those wolves had done you in." She declared.

"Thank you for saving me." The girl said to the stoic dog _yokai_, perking his ears; he glanced at her and nodded curtly.  
"Don't mention it." He replied, turning to walk away. "Getsu," he beckoned.

Getsu pouted at him, exhaling. "Come on," she mumbled, taking the girl's little hand and leading her after him.

"Do you have a name?" She asked gently.

"Getsu, don't show pity on her; she is a _human_ after all." Sesshomaru chided calmly.

She scowled, sticking her tongue out at him. "You keep quiet, ya've insulted her enough with your indifference." She shot back, looking at the girl's big brown eyes again.  
The girl shook her head, looking sad for a moment. "I don't remember it." She mumbled.

Getsu tilted her head to one side, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Huh, well that sucks! Hm… guess we'll have to give you a new name, then." She mused aloud.

"Rin." Sesshomaru spoke, pricking her ears and the girl's as well; he glanced at the two females. "Her name is Rin." He declared.

"That's a good name, actually. How about it, huh Rin?" She smiled, looking at the girl.  
She smiled lightly. "I like it!" She said.

Getsu chuckled, nodding. "'Rin' it is!" She said.

Sesshomaru shook his head slightly at hearing her sound so cheerful; _perhaps it's because there's another female for her to talk with_, he thought. If it was because of that, it sure as hell made sense; _but why a human? Didn't she have a sister in her old clan?_ He wondered.

Getsu hardly talked about her family; he wondered if she even had a sibling growing up. Sometimes he hated to have a sibling –especially since it was an incompetent half-breed like InuYasha—so to have grown up like Getsu would've been a dream he had long abandoned.

He stole a look over his shoulder at the wolf princess to see her smiling and laughing once or twice with the girl named Rin, his gaze softening at seeing her so calm. She must have been the older sibling in her family… just like he was.

She really was a lot like him, in more ways than either of them cared to admit.

He recalled the bruises and cuts that had scarred her pretty face earlier and his lip curled; something about seeing her come back battered like that to him made something deep inside him stir. Was it anger? Or was it protectiveness? He didn't know, but perhaps it was both of those things.  
Whatever it was that had brought that up in him, it left him with the need to look out for her.

Even though she was as stubborn as he was—perhaps more, but he found that to be downright frightening—she was still a girl; okay, she was **_his_** girl, and he felt that he needed to protect what was his.

A giggle escaped the girl, making him look back to see Rin holding onto Getsu's shoulders with her legs, hugging her neck with her small arms; he smiled slightly, seeing the wolf _yokai_ laugh and smile at the human girl.

He couldn't tell if she was acting more like her mother or like her older sister. Was it both?

* * *

A/N: _just a note, to those of you who're reading this who are fangirls of Koga, don't kill me for making him out to be the bad guy. i do like Koga, but i felt it'd be easier to have Getsu leave the picture because of the whole Kagome-crush Koga gets the next episode (which i will not be covering, btw). anywho, slight angst on Getsu's part and Rin finally gets her name! i wasn't sure if Rin had kept her name before she'd died or Sesshomaru had given it to her after he brought her back using the Tensaiga.. just a thought._

_**review please**__! thanks~_


	8. Ibuki

A/N: _yo, sorry for the wait! __**GUYS, SRSLY. THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS YOU'RE THE BEST~! /cries waterfalls of joy**__ *cough* anywho~  
so where we last left off, Sesshomaru had revived Rin from dying at the hands of Koga's wolf pack and she started traveling with him. more angst in this chap and the next few chaps coming up so look forward to reading that! enjoy the chap~_

disclaimer: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

** title ref: "_**Ibuki**__" by the __**Yoshida Brothers**__ **_

* * *

_**Chapter 08: Ibuki**_

"Wah, that's so cool, Getsu-onee!" She declared.

She smiled lightly at her, glancing up at her as she rode on her shoulders again. "I know, right?" She replied.

"Would you two stop chattering? Gods, can't you see Milord is deep in thought!?" The toad imp finally barked, scowling up at the wolf _yokai_ and human girl riding her shoulders, seeing both females blink once.

**_THWACK_**.

"I don't hear 'im complaining about us talking so why're ya bitching about it?" The wolf _yokai_ princess replied dryly after she released the girl's legs of one hand to pound his head with her fist, a vein twitching annoyedly on her brow.

"M-Milord, why did you ever allow this insolent woman to come with us!?" Jaken cried, a large bump swelling on his head as he hopped up and down in anger.

_'Insolent', am I…?_ Getsu thought with growing impatience, her fist she'd beaten him with shaking as she lifted it into the air slowly.

Sesshomaru glanced back at feeling a dark aura coming from the older female of their small group; he exhaled. "Because she happens to have a very sharp right hook." He replied in his usual aloof tone.

She blinked at hearing his words before she smiled lightly, blushing a little. "Aww, I'm touched, Sessh-kun!" She said teasingly.

His ears pricked and a tic made his right cheek twitch.  
"D-don't do that." He grumbled, slight heat dancing across his cheeks at her petname (which he automatically disliked).

Getsu giggled and smiled slyly.

Rin looked from the dog demon to the wolf demon she was riding. "Um, Getsu-onee," she began, pricking her ears.

She glanced up at her. "What's up, Rin?" She wondered.

"Are you and Lord Sesshomaru lovers? It seems like you two really care about each other, even though you don't ever show it infront of anyone." She asked curiously, making both _yokai_ stiffen.

Sesshomaru almost stopped walking; Getsu's cheeks burned a shade of reddish pink (and she was pretty sure he was also blushing the same shade of reddish pink she was currently afflicted with).

"Um…" She began, swallowing.

"We do care about each other, yes. Though as to consider us like that is another thing, Rin." He explained, keeping his back to the two females' curious eyes.

Even though his vague answer sort of stung, her shoulders eased slowly in relief at his quick answer.

She quieted, nodding. "Okay." She said.

Getsu paused to let her down, straightening. "Shoulders are getting tired," she mumbled, smiling for the girl before she saw her nod back in amendment, turning to walk forward to his side.

"_Now_ I know why I never liked children." Sesshomaru grumbled when she was at his right.

She smiled wryly, elbowing him. "Play nice. She was just curious, that's all." She chided gently; _though she did bring up a good question_, she thought, looking away from him.

_Were_ they lovers? She did care about him, a lot, but the term '_lover_' always made her think that being lovers meant they had to sleep together first. They hadn't even done **_that_** yet!

She glanced at him and lowered her gaze, silver eyes cast downward. _Are we lovers after all?_ She wondered.

He looked down at her, his fingers grazing over hers before clasping her hand, surprising her; she looked up at him in slight surprise. His gold eyes looked like flames again. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

She blushed, lowering her gaze shyly and nodding. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

He frowned slightly, looking away and exhaling, squeezing her hand in his own. "Don't worry about it." He advised softly, pricking her ears again.  
She nodded, smiling for him. "Right."

"Getsu-onee, is it alright if I race ahead? I bet I could beat Master Jaken at a race to see what's ahead of us!" Rin asked as she trotted towards the two _yokai_, pricking her ears again.

She looked at him; he sighed and nodded. "Go ahead." He replied.

She beamed and looked at the toad imp. "Come on, Master Jaken!" She exclaimed, sprinting ahead of them.  
The aforementioned imp swore under his breath before he sprinted after the girl.

Getsu shook her head and chuckled, smiling at them.

Sesshomaru looked down at her calm face and he smiled to himself. "You treat her like she's your little sister." He mused.

She blushed and then smiled, squeezing his fingers. "She reminds me of Korihime, when she was younger." She admitted quietly, watching the two shorter members of their small group continue to run.

"You sound like you miss her." He said thoughtfully, following her gaze.

Getsu nodded, sighing quietly. "Kori-nee is gone, though, and I'm actually glad for it; she wouldn't have to bear this burden that I have to bear. She should never have to bear this burden." She mused softly.

Sesshomaru nodded as well, releasing her hand to stroke her cheek. "You really loved your sister." He mused.

She smiled sadly and glanced up at him. "I did, and I still do." She nodded.  
He nodded slightly, looking at the direction the girl and imp had gone, exhaling. "Come, they're bound to run into some sort of problem if we aren't there." He mused, taking her hand and dragging her after him.

She blinked before she smiled, nodding and trotting after his lead.

Was he softening up at last..?

:::::::oOo:::::::

"Look at that, Master Jaken! A slain demon, just as Lord Sesshomaru explained to us!" The girl exclaimed.

"Who on earth could've done this?" The imp balked in surprise.

"InuYasha." He declared as both _yokai_ arrived. "InuYasha did this, but I doubt he escaped unscathed." He added.  
The wolf _yokai_ sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose slightly, nodding. "That's his scent alright. Though this demon, it smells like Naraku." She mused grimly, waving at the foggy air with a hand.

He reached to yank the head up by one of the horns, making the girl scream in fear.  
Her ears lowered slightly. "Rin, stop screaming." She chided, covering her ears, blinking as he took the head and walked off.

"You're taking the head with us?" The toad imp asked in surprise.

"Come with me; Rin, stop that." He instructed, making the girl stop screaming instantly.  
"Yes milord!" She obeyed quickly, slightly irking the imp and wolf _yokai_.

The wolf _yokai_ sighed and scooped her up, letting her crawl onto her shoulders. "Come on, you two." She declared, following him shortly at his heels.

"Did you notice the scent had changed, Getsu? It didn't smell like normal half-breed stink." The dog _yokai_ spoke up, perking her ears.

She nodded, recalling the fact that InuYasha's blood had smelled different. "It didn't, actually it smelled like yours, and another demon's… could that have been your father's blood?" She asked, looking at him.

He nodded back. "The very same. It's strange, even for InuYasha." He mused.

_How did his scent change? Did he become a full-bred demon overnight?_ She wondered before she shook her head a little. _No, that's not possible…!  
Unless his demon side seemed to awaken and that made his scent change?_

* * *

Her nose wrinkled at the stink of the swamp they were walking around.

_Why did you decide to bring that damn head to a place like this?_ She wondered, shooting a look at the _yokai_ lord in the lead, looking past him at the small hut at the end of the path. _So that's his destination_, she thought.

"Who are you?" The man he'd come to see demanded as the door flap flew open to reveal him in the doorway, the imp at his side.

"You are Kaijinbo, I take it? The smith who forged too many deviant swords, and was banished by his master Totosai."

_Totosai's prodigy?_ She thought in surprise.

"Totosai, you say? The sound of his name is still enough to make my blood boil." The man rumbled angrily.

He dropped the head before the man. "How about it, Kaijinbo? I would have you forge a sword for me, from the fangs of this demon." He requested.

He pulled the head forward, looking from the severed head to him. "Don't take me for a fool. I can't make a sword from something that's already dead." He warned.

He drew the Tensaiga, swinging it over the beings from the underworld and allowing the head to come back to life. "The demon's head has come back to life!" Kaijinbo exclaimed in relief.

"Allow me to explain something to you, Kaijinbo. This sword, the Tensaiga, was forged by the same master who banished you long ago and the fangs of the demon before you broke the Tetsusaiga, a sword that was also forged by Totosai." Sesshomaru explained coolly.

"Incredible! Yes, these fangs will forge a powerful sword." He beamed.

_Will he be able to make a sword from those fangs?_ She wondered.

:::::::oOo::::::::

He didn't see why she had decided to come with him.

If it was for his concern, he could understand that; but if it was paranoia or curiosity, then he honestly thought she needed to stay back with the girl.

"It looks powerful enough to be wielded by a full-bred demon." She mused as she leaned against the wall, arms folded at her chest as she eyed the exiled smith warily, looking at her companion as he revived the imp.

"Come, Jaken; pull yourself together. Getsu, let's go." He added, looking to her.  
She nodded, stepping out first.

"Shame ya couldn't find another imp to replace him, otherwise I'd have said to leave him there." She mumbled to herself.  
She bristled as she instantly caught the scent of evil coming from the smith Kaijinbo, turning about. "Now what?" She wondered aloud.

A bright red light screamed as the smith flew out, the sword in hand.

"What in hell?" She barked, yelping as he grabbed her scruff and yanked her out of the way of the evil sword's path. "S-Sesshomaru, what's the meaning of…?"

"Jaken said he was possessed by the sword; you smelled it." He replied, seeing her nod.

"Of course I smelled it. Aren't you going to go after him?" She looked at him.

He shook his head. "Not yet." He replied.  
She frowned slightly; _I have a bad feeling about that blade_, she thought.

* * *

"Where on earth could that stupid Kaijinbo have gone to with that sword?" The imp wondered annoyedly.

She huffed and crossed her arms at her chest, leaning against the neck of Ah-Un. "Even though I don't agree with your complaints, you do have a point. If that sword possessed Kaijinbo, it only makes me wonder just how you'll be able to wield it, Sesshomaru." She agreed quietly, glancing at their quiet leader.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Getsu-onee!" The voice of the girl exclaimed as they neared where he'd left her, the wolf _yokai_ slipping off the back of the dragon and catching the girl as she flew into her arms.

She chuckled and smiled gently at her. "Sorry we left ya for so long, Rin." She apologized sheepishly.

"That's okay, I'm just glad you and Lord Sesshomaru came back for me!" The human girl giggled.  
Getsu smiled again, letting her down as they moved closer to the small fire she'd begun, sinking down to sit with a quiet sigh.

"Getsu, **don't move**." Sesshomaru ordered, pricking her ears as she made to feed the flames with a twig; she looked up at him alertly, yelping in surprise as he sailed past her to the trees behind her.

She scrambled away, extending an arm to defend the girl as she drew back. "S-Sesshomaru, what the hell!?" She barked, perking up again as the stink of Naraku stung her nose; a growl rumbled in her throat as she felt her palms flame up, watching him slice through two thin trees before a blur of lilac and maroon did a back-flip in the air before it landed lithely before him.

A woman –no, this was a demon; there was no doubt about it— with brown hair, red eyes wearing a maroon and lilac kimono with a feather in her hair stood before the dog _yokai_.

_Her scent…!_ She thought, glancing down at the girl. "Rin, stay back." She whispered, turning to stare at the woman stonily.  
"Your stink smells like Naraku; tell us who you are or I'll kill you on sight." Getsu growled lowly, moving forward to stand at her companion's side, silver eyes tight.

_Her nose is as sharp as ever_, he thought, his own eyes tightened as he could swear he heard a low growl brewing in her throat.

The woman raised a fan she held in her right hand. "So, you must be InuYasha's brother, Sesshomaru. And you're the bitch my master so kindly destroyed the clan of. You're both very clever; I am Kagura, the Wind Sorceress, an incarnation of Naraku." She mused, seeing the wolf _yokai_'s eyes flash angrily at the horrid memory, her red eyes turning to the dog _yokai_.

"'Incarnation'?" Both _yokai_ repeated in unison.

"Correct; Sesshomaru, the fangs you delivered to Kaijinbo belonged to a demon called Goshinki; like me, he was also created by Naraku." Kagura explained.

"All very interesting. But did you search me out just to tell me this?" Sesshomaru wondered, sensing the slowly boiling anger coming from his companion at his left: one wrong move from this Kagura woman and Getsu would rip her to shreds.

Kagura opened her fan with a flick of the wrist, covering her lower face. "Can't you tell by the scent? Tokijin reeks of Goshinki's aura. Your little wolf whore could smell it clearly, couldn't you? It's closer than you think." She sneered.

Getsu flashed her teeth threateningly, glancing up at him and nodding a little in agreement that she had indeed caught the scent of that demon's aura before it had been taken by the possessed Kaijinbo.

The wind picked up then as she took off into the night riding a giant white feather. "You are the sword's rightful owner!" Kagura added before she disappeared from sight.

Her fists were shaking slightly at her sides.  
He looked at her as he vaguely listened to the imp complain. "Are you okay?" He asked quietly.

She flicked her wrist, her right hand sending a shot of blue fire at the cut down trees he'd sliced through minutes ago. "Perfectly fine!" She spat, watching the flames burn through the dying trees.

_She hated Naraku more than he ever would believe!_

"If I see that bitch again, my claws are going to rip her throat open." Getsu vowed softly, bristled and just plainly pissed off.

_I just might feel sorry for that Kagura woman if she crosses paths with us again_, Sesshomaru thought.

* * *

A/N: _as the relationship gets closer there are more obstacles. _  
_lol there're two things i have to put: one, the reason Rin calls Getsu '__**Getsu-onee**__' is because she thinks of Getsu like an older sister-figure even though they haven't known each other long, and Getsu thinks of her as like an almost-dead-ringer-incarnate of her dead little sister Korihime; two, i just __**HAD**__ to make Getsu hate Kagura, you lot know that! she kind of acts like Sango does around Miroku when he's flirting with a pretty girl, the only difference is that Sesshomaru has no interest in Kagura but Getsu sees her as a threat (as well as the fact that she's Naraku's incarnation is grounds enough for her to loathe her very existence) and is willing to stick her neck out to protect Sesshomaru from Kagura. _

_anyway, __**please review**__! thanks a mil~ ;D_


	9. Into the Nothing, I'm Lost (Without You)

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru had commissioned the second rate welder Kaijinbo to forge a sword for him from the fangs of Goshinki, one of Naraku's now-dead vassals. will he be strong enough to wield the sword known as Tokijin? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_** title ref: "__**Into the Morning**__"/ "__**Without You**__" by __**Breaking Benjamin**__ **_

* * *

**_Chapter 09: Into the Nothing, I Am Lost (Without You)_**

Thunder growled loudly overhead as the dragon shot a bolt of lightning into the air.

"You won't stay here even if I tell you to." He guessed as he prepared to depart.  
"You know me so well." She teased, smirking at him and watching him hop down to the ground as the dragon shot another bolt of lightning down at the sword known as Tokijin; she sighed and flew after him, landing lithely on her feet a few yards away.

"Sesshomaru! What the hell're you doing here?" The voice of the half-demon wondered, pricking her ears, making her look over to see he and his group were yards away from them, a cowering welder hiding behind him.

She waved lightly. "_Ohaiyo_," she greeted.

"Just what I'd ask you. I came for the sword; apparently the demon you killed was so bitter that it desired revenge even after the remains were used to forge this sword." He returned.

"What!?" He spat.

"How does he know the Tokijin was forged from Goshinki's fangs?" The demon slayer wondered in surprise.

"It must mean that…!" The monk began.

"I was the one who commissioned Kaijinbo to forge the sword." Sesshomaru explained.  
A collective gasp came from the girls.

"Sesshomaru, you must not touch the Tokijin! You will be possessed by the sword's evil aura; heed my warning, I implore you!" Totosai exclaimed as he poked his head out from behind InuYasha.

"I knew there was something wrong with it," Getsu scowled, perking up as he walked forward to take the sword from its position in the ground. "Hey, wait…!" She began, widening her eyes a little as the aura pulsated from the blade; her hand lowered to the hilt of her katana out of precaution.

"Pathetic fool; just what do you take me for?" He wondered dryly; she widened her eyes again as the aura was slowly fading away.  
_The evil aura… It's dissipating?_ She thought.

"I see the sword has chosen me as its master; draw your sword, InuYasha. There's something I wish to verify." Sesshomaru declared, looking at the half-demon that growled slightly.

_The Tokijin was created to be stronger than the Tetsusaiga; what'll happen if Sesshomaru defeats InuYasha with the Tokijin?_ She wondered, watching the two brothers begin to fight; her eyes caught sight of InuYasha struggling with the Tetsusaiga. _Is it too heavy for him?_ She thought, perking up as Sesshomaru knocked the larger sword out of his grip with a swipe from Tokijin, the blast forcing the half-demon to fly back and land on his back yards away.

InuYasha charged at him blindly, weaponless.

"Idiot, grab the damn sword; InuYasha!" Getsu cried, widening her eyes as the sword's aura pulsed again and a jet of green energy sailed at the half-demon, electrocuting him and sending him flying; she turned on her companion. "Sesshomaru, stop it! Please, you'll kill him!" She pleaded.

He fought a wince at hearing her plead with him, gripping the hilt of the demon sword. "Stay out of this, Getsu." He ordered, pricking her ears.

"Sesshomaru," she breathed in disbelief.

"I've seen all I need to see." Sesshomaru declared, lifting the blade of Tokijin again. "Die," he spat, sprinting forward at the half-demon crouched to the ground.

"**NO**!" She sprinted forward: the stink of a full-bred demon radiated from where InuYasha was, forcing her to skid to a halt. Her eyes widened alertly.

A low growl came from InuYasha as the stink of full-bred demon blood hung in the air, making her nose wrinkle.

_He's transforming_, she thought in surprise, perking up as she watched him get ever closer to the now-transformed InuYasha.  
A wall of flame divided the small patch of ground that was between the two brothers, making him skid to a halt.

"Totosai," he declared as the group took InuYasha and fled from the area.

She flicked her wrist, dissipating the firewall with little effort, moving closer to his side.  
"Sesshomaru." She declared, reaching to take his hand.

He stirred, looking at her and seeming to have been dragged from deep thought; his gold eyes rested on her concerned and slightly worried silver eyes.

He squeezed her hand, his face softening and he nodded.

If it was one thing he could count on, it was Getsu to worry for him. Now that she had been forcibly kicked out by Koga's clan, he was the only place she could call home. He'd be a fool to leave her alone, especially since she had that issue about being in a pack.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The flames burned vainly from the small fire.

He admired the blade of his new sword in silent wonder, the light from the fire bouncing off the Tokijin's front; his gold eyes lifted to look over at the slumbering females.

The girl slept soundly curled up against the older girl; she had her back to the fire, huddled into a slightly loose ball, tail draped over her shins, amber light from the fire highlighting the locks of ebony hair that fell down her back.

_'You're not those things; not to me.' She'd sort of smiled gently when she'd said those words_.

_'Are you and Lord Sesshomaru lovers?' The girl had asked innocently_.

_Getsu, are we lovers?_ He thought, perking up as she stirred in her sleep.

He cared about her, yes, even to the point where he'd put his life in jeopardy to protect hers if the situation called for it. But did he love her?  
She was brash and stubborn and sometimes naïve; but she was also kind and caring.

That day she'd seen a glimpse of his true form, the day he'd marked her precious neck… He'd never felt like that for another woman in his life.  
And for some reason unbeknownst to him, Getsu of the Wolf Clan brought out that need in every nerve of his body.

He, Sesshomaru, had it **_bad_**_;_ and his subconscious loved every minute of that torturing need to make her his mate.

_Damn it all_, he thought.

A clawed hand stroked his cheek, jarring him from his thoughts; he turned a gold eye to the owner of the clawed hand, meeting her familiar silver eyes.

"You've been staring into space for ten minutes now; are you okay?" She asked quietly, keeping her voice down for fear of waking the girl.

He instantly wiped the raw ache that radiated from some pit in his lower belly that flamed up whenever he thought of her attractive form, his gold eyes lowering. "I'm fine." He replied dismissively.

Getsu smirked wryly and shook her head, exhaling as she released his cheek to sit next to him. "That's a piss-poor excuse, love." She mused softly.

Sesshomaru almost shuddered at feeling that she was too close to his body, looking at the fire. "Hush," he grumbled.

She chuckled softly, smirking again. "Make me." She teased with playful silver eyes.

He wanted to groan aloud at her teasing; his arm lifted to stroke her cheek, slightly surprising her, her silver eyes innocent as they looked up at his gold orbs that melted and even smoldered.

Sesshomaru inclined his head, planting a kiss on her lips.

Getsu blushed at his sudden action, lifting her hands to gingerly curl her fingers in his silver hair and lean onto him.

A shudder rolled down his spine at tasting her lips, his hand on her cheek lifting to cradle the back of her head, deepening the kiss as his subconscious screamed at him to go for it. She groaned softly, tugging gently at his lower lip, blushing again and shivering as he guided her onto her back before her arms lifted to run down his back.

He had it bad for her and he'd be damned if she didn't mate with him now.

* * *

'Welcome! I have awaited your arrival!' A booming voice came from one of the trees surrounding them.

She almost jumped as a soft growl brewed in her throat and she gripped the reins of the dragon. _Where did that voice come from?_

"A voice from the sky!" The girl declared behind her.

'I have been expecting you, Sesshomaru.' The same booming voice declared, sounding like they were getting closer to the voice.

"You say you've been expecting me, Bokuseno?" Sesshomaru replied at last.

Getsu looked at him. _You know him?_ She wondered.

'You've come to speak with me about the swords, I presume?' The voice of Bokuseno guessed as he neared a particularly tall tree and stopped walking, making her stop walking as well.

Both _yokai_ watched as the center of the tree shifted until a wizened face formed; a pair of droopy eyes opened to stare forward.

"So _this_ is Bokuseno," she mused aloud, arms crossed at her chest.

'Do you seek information regarding the Tetsusaiga, your father's heirloom sword?' Bokuseno asked, his droopy eyes for the dog _yokai_. 'Or perhaps…' He trailed off.

"A tree demon!" Rin gasped from sitting atop the dragon.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru, what is that?" Jaken asked warily.

"A two-thousand year old magnolia tree." Sesshomaru answered him.  
_A magnolia tree this old?_ Getsu thought.

'It is true; the sheaths of the Tetsusaiga and the Tensaiga, passed down from Sesshomaru's father, were carved from my very own bowels.' He explained.

_So this is the tree that Sesshomaru's father had the sheath for Tensaiga carved from_, she guessed.

"Bokuseno, perhaps you could explain the link to me, between InuYasha and the Tetsusaiga." Sesshomaru requested.

He looked up at him. 'InuYasha, your younger brother?'

"InuYasha's blood has changed; the first time was when a demon bit and broke the Tetsusaiga, the second time he had let go of the Tetsusaiga while fighting me. His scent wasn't that of a half-demon, but of a pure demon's blood; like mine and my father's." He explained.

'His had the same scent?' He chuckled. 'I have my doubts.'

He looked at him rather sharply. "What do you mean by that?" He asked lowly.

'InuYasha is a half-demon, born between a demon and a human: he could never become a full-fledged demon. Sesshomaru, there is something that you, a pure-blooded demon, are incapable of accomplishing, but which InuYasha could never do.' Bokuseno declared.

"Go on," Sesshomaru pressed.

'It is simple; I speak of protecting oneself.' He replied.  
"'Protecting oneself'?"

'Yes. In battle, for instance: if you find yourself in a hopeless situation, in which you are able to remain calm, you will never lose control of yourself.'

"Huh; it wouldn't be possible for me to fall into such a desperate situation."

He chuckled. 'No, I suppose you wouldn't. InuYasha is another matter, however: if backed into a corner to the point where his life is in danger, his demon blood takes control of the body and he transforms in order to preserve his life. Unfortunately for InuYasha, the pure demon blood of his father is too strong for a half-demon like himself.'

"What will the outcome be?"

'Well, in essence, the demon blood will devour his human soul. He will not be able to recognize himself, he will not be able to differentiate between friend or foe; he will simply kill and with repeated transformations, InuYasha will eventually lose his soul. He will become a demon who only knows how to fight and kill, and he will continue to fight until he is destroyed.'

Her eyes widened slightly; _so if he loses control, he's done for!_ She thought.

'I seriously doubt that your father would wish that terrible fate on his own son. That is why he bequeathed the sword Tetsusaiga to InuYasha, to protect his soul.'

She frowned slightly. _InuYasha_, she thought.

* * *

That familiar stink of full-bred blood made her nose wrinkle.

She looked at him, slipping off the dragon's back and smiling. "I'll go on ahead, see if I can't find him before you do." She declared.  
His gold eyes hardened slightly and he nodded. "Don't get yourself killed." He replied.

She smiled again and winked, nodding back. "I'll do my best." She amended, turning to spirit ahead of him and their companions to the source of the scent.

There was something wrong this time: she smelled another demon.

Her feet skidded to a halt short of seeing the remains of a burned village, silver eyes surveying the outskirts of the village; she sprinted closer into the village, the mixed scents getting stronger.

The sound of fighting pricked her ears; she huffed and lowered a hand to the hilt of her katana.

_Why doesn't that surprise me? That idiot is practically a trouble-magnet_, she thought, perking up again as the sight of a band of four humans –bandits, if she had to guess— encircling the familiar sight of Kagome, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara.

"Honestly," she grumbled, stepping closer towards the scene. "Oi, this many dogs after a simple girl? Geez, humans really are pathetic." She called lightly, making the bandits whirl around to stare at her.

"Getsu-onee!" The kitsune piped up in relief as both human women looked to see the wolf _yokai_ standing there with a hand on her hip.

"Yo, boss, this woman is really pretty! Should we get her too?" One of the bandits barked over his shoulder, making her look past the bandits to their leader.

_So that's where I smelled the demon stink_, she thought, her lip curling.

Their boss, a _yokai_ with wavy hair tied in a ponytail and lipstick on his mouth, eyed her up and down and grinned slyly. "Might as well; she's too damn beautiful to pass up." He nodded.

"Getsu, run!" Sango exclaimed as three bandits rushed her.

She sighed, shoulders slumping; a foot plowed into the jaw of one of the men, making him fly back, her right fist crashing into the throat of a second man, both men flopping on the ground, knocked out cold. "Your men are as weak as your stench!" She hollered, ducking the swipe the third man made for her head, her left fist smoking as she sent it crashing into his chest, blue flames licking at his armor.  
The man cried out as her fire consumed his body, crashing to the ground in a flaming heap.

Her silver eyes were dangerous. "Quit using your pathetic dogs to fight for you and act like the demon your stench claims you are." She spat, a low growl brewing in her throat as she saw the man straighten.

The _yokai_ huffed and then grinned again, cracking his knuckles as he moved closer to the pissy wolf _yokai_. "Very interesting; do I get to know the name of the woman I am about to kill?" He wondered.

She sniffed, her palms on fire again as she shifted her right foot back out of reflex. "You first, girly man." She growled.

He chuckled. "Of course, how rude of me! I am Gatenmaru." He replied, doing a mock bow.

Getsu huffed before she leaped high, doing a small sommer-sault before she crashed into the ground, her right fist slamming into the earth, making flames rise up from beneath his feet and forcing him back. "Getsu of the Western Wolf Clan!" She straightened as he also stood straight, a smirk on her lips. "You'll need to remember that before I rip your throat open." She added softly, rushing him.

The _yokai_ Gatenmaru swung his hatchet at her, seeing her dodge it narrowly, blue flames consuming her left fist that slammed into his cheek; he swore, reeling back in pain as the flames licked at his skin.

She landed expertly on her feet, a second smirk on her lips. "Did I ruin your whore paint?" She sneered.

"Y-you damn whore… you ruined my face!" He threw the hatchet at her angrily.

Getsu leaped out of the way, her right foot sailing into his forehead and sending him flying back, creating a fissure in the ground with his body.

Gatenmaru scrambled to grab her leg; she flicked her wrist, a flash of silver appearing out of the corner of his eye before his right arm went flying into the air, a trail of blood following the discarded limb.

He screamed in pain as she hopped off him, watching a small fountain of blood fly into the air from his severed arm, scrambling to his feet and holding onto the stump of his arm gingerly. "You stupid wench!" He roared, firing a thick stream of web at her.

"_**Nagareboshi-kaen**__!_" Blue fire consumed the web, surprising him; his beady black eyes were wide as the webs burned before his eyes.  
"Fighting you really makes me loathe insects." Getsu mused lowly, her katana held tight in hand stained with blood.

Gatenmaru flew at her blindly.

She saw smoke rise from her fist clenched around the hilt, lifting the sword horizontally. "_**Dying Wolf's Blood**__._" She growled; a vibrant shot of green energy screamed at the oncoming _yokai_, forcing him to be sent flying back, crashing into a run-down hut.

_That was one of Mangetsuga's stronger attacks; Father, did you leave this sword for me so I would get stronger learning its powers?_ She thought.

A thick shot of web shot out at her from the rubble; she widened her eyes slightly. _Shit!_

"**Getsu**!" Kagome and Sango exclaimed in unison.

The sound of the web cocoon ripping open perked her ears; the sight of InuYasha standing there in his full-bred form made her eyes widen.

"InuYasha," she began softly, leaping out of the way in time as the web sailed past her.  
_Not again!_ She thought, watching him slaughter the rest of the bandits before he turned to Gatenmaru.

Gatenmaru shifted into the form of a giant moth _yokai _before he attacked the half-demon, having his wings clipped and severed before InuYasha slashed through him with his claws, destroying him.

The rest of the bandits sprinted away in fear, with InuYasha giving chase.

"InuYasha, don't!" She barked, sprinting after him.

"Getsu-onee, don't interfere! He's turned into a full-bred demon!" Shippo called after her.  
She halted slightly, looking back at them.  
"I know what he is; but I still have to stop him, before he forgets his human soul!" She declared, turning to sprint after the half-demon's wake.

_Don't you kill them all, you idiot!_ She thought.

He had cornered three of the escaping bandits by the time she arrived; she flew at him, her foot crashing into his head and forcing him back.  
The three bandits looked at her in awe.

"If you don't snap out of it, I swear I'm gonna _**beat you out of it**_, you idiot half-demon." Getsu growled, cracking her knuckles.

InuYasha growled and prepared to fight her before he looked sharp and turned about as the familiar scent of dog _yokai_ filled her nose.  
She looked to see her companion standing yards away from them, gold eyes traveling from his half-brother to his mate.

"Sesshomaru," she breathed in surprise.

"Get away from him, Getsu; **now**." He ordered lowly, pricking her ears.

Getsu quieted and obeyed, trotting away to stand near InuYasha's group.  
"Getsu, why is Sesshomaru here?" Miroku asked the wolf _yokai_, easily sensing the worried vibe coming off her petite form.

"You don't wanna know," she replied with a shake of her head, scowling from one demon to the other; _Sesshomaru, please_, she thought.

"Come after me, InuYasha; I wish to test your strength in that form." Sesshomaru taunted, pricking her ears.  
_Are you insane? He'll kill you!_ She mentally screamed, her teeth grinding together in anticipation.

InuYasha growled before he took off, leaping into the air and flying at him; he drew the Tokijin, lifting it to block his oncoming attack, the sword's aura forcing him to pause before striking.

"InuYasha!" Kagome barked.

"Sesshomaru, you'll kill him! He's a thousand times more vulnerable in that state; **please**!" Getsu exclaimed, looking at her mate.  
He growled and hit the sword's blade with a fist, leaping back and surprising his brother; blood flew from his arm he'd hit the blade with.

"That was foolish." He mused, watching him rush him, missing as he hopped out of the way and landed opposite him.

He lifted the Tokijin, electrocuting him with the pressure from the sword, forcing him to fly back again, blood flying from cuts delivered to his body.

"Stop it already; InuYasha!" Kagome cried.

_He's not a full-bred demon, after all; he's still a half-demon!_ Getsu thought, watching InuYasha slash at Sesshomaru blindly, the latter bobbing and weaving around his strikes, finally leaping overhead and landing lithely in the same spot he'd been at the start of the battle, lifting Tokijin again.  
"Know your place in the world," he declared as the half-demon flew at him again. "A half-demon should act like one!" He swung Tokijin at him; sparks flew in the air as his body hit the pressurized aura of Tokijin, releasing a cry of pain as he was thrown back from the attack.

"InuYasha!" Kagome sprinted forward, gripping the Tetsusaiga in her hands.

"Idiot, don't get in the way!" Getsu exclaimed before widening her eyes as the girl threw herself between the two siblings; she clenched her teeth and moved forward.

"He's finally been brought down." Sesshomaru replied coldly, moving closer.

Her arms wrapped around his waist from behind, surprising him, as she buried her face into his back. He glanced over his shoulder at her, feeling her arms tighten. "Getsu," he began.

"If he wants to die consciously then let him die consciously; on his own terms! Not like this… Please, Sesshomaru." She cried, feeling tears sting her eyes as the image of her own younger sister smiling at her flashed in her mind.

The feeling of her hot tears leaking onto his long hair surprised him further; _is she crying over InuYasha?_ He wondered, quieting as she buried her face deeper into his back, looking down at her arms that were shaking slightly. _Getsu_, he thought, feeling like the biggest jerk in the world for making her cry.

"If you wish him to stop, use the Tetsusaiga to reverse the transformation; otherwise, he'll continue to fight when he awakens." Sesshomaru advised the girl, slightly surprising the female at his back.

_He's advising her? I thought he wanted to kill InuYasha_, she wondered in surprise, vaguely listening to the monk question him as to why he'd stayed his hand.

"I will slay him eventually; why kill him now when he doesn't know who he is? There would be no point." He replied at last, his tone indifferent; he lowered his hand to gingerly pull her arms from his waist, taking her hand. "Let's go." He declared, leading her away from them.

Getsu looked over her shoulder at the gathered humans, her gaze lowering to the unconscious half-demon. "Right," she mumbled, peeling her gaze away and looking down at the ground.

Sesshomaru glanced at her, knowing that there was a lot of explaining to do when they returned to Rin and Jaken.

:::::::oOo:::::::

She was quiet as they walked through the forest.  
He scowled slightly at her silence; _this is unusual, even for her,_ he thought.

A quiet sigh escaped him as he glanced back to see the girl was asleep again on the back of the dragon. "You weren't injured while fighting that demon the other day, were you?" He asked her, pricking her ears.

She turned a silver eye up at him before shaking her head. "No, I wasn't. To be honest, it was that demon that was more injured than anything. At least, before…" She trailed off at the memory and shook her head again, lowering her gaze.

He also recalled the memory of his half-brother's red eyes and her tears. "I know. Getsu, can I ask you something?" He asked, pricking her ears again.

"Shoot." She mumbled.

His gold eyes lifted to look at her bowed head, the ebony locks that framed her face and shielded her gaze from his curious one. "Why were you crying, that day?" He asked softly, keeping his voice quiet enough so that the ever-nosy imp didn't hear.

Her silver eyes looked at him sharply; she quieted and then huffed, folding her arms. "That's none of your business." She replied in a soft growl.

_Hostility this late at night?_ He wondered, keeping his gaze on her. "I want to know why you were crying." He repeated patiently.

She scowled up at him, her lip slightly curled. "It wasn't for you, Sesshomaru. Just leave it at that." She spat, bristling as she locked gaze with him and stared him down.

Sesshomaru quieted and saw her exhale. "See if you can't find someplace to camp, then; this is going to be a long night." He declared, pricking her ears.

Getsu huffed angrily and stormed ahead of him, her fists curled at her sides as she disappeared from sight.

She was one stubborn woman, he had to admit that.

He exhaled as he followed quietly, the toad imp at his heels with the two-headed dragon in tow as it held the sleeping girl on its back.

* * *

A/N: _slight cliff-hanger! dun dun DUN. rofl nah but srsly.. anyway, YES THEY DID IT. FINALLY. kidding~ but yeah they did mate. and no there is no lemon in this fic, at least there's no forseeable lemon as far as i'm concerned. smut? oh yes~ lol _

_**review**__ please; thanks~_


	10. Kryptonite - Will You Be There?

A/N: _so where we last left off, Getsu had stopped Sesshomaru from delivering the death blow to a full-bred-transformed InuYasha, confusing and surprising him. as well as we also saw Getsu unleash the second most powerful attack from her father's katana he'd given to her, __**Mangetsuga**__ (_Full Moon Fang_). will Getsu tell Sesshomaru why she was crying when she intervened in the death match? _  
_enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyrighted to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Kryptonite**__" by __**3 Doors Down**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 10: Kryptonite - Will You Be There?_**

Both the imp and girl were resting near the two-headed dragon.

She touched the end of a stick with her finger; flames burned lightly before she tossed the stick to the small fire, watching it ignite and burn vainly.

"You still won't tell me." He mused as she inspected her claws carefully.  
"Nope." She replied off-handedly.

A quiet exhale escaped him; he scowled patiently at her. "If it wasn't for me, then why did you start crying?" He asked.

She scoffed and looked away, settling to lying on her side near the fire. "I told you to drop it." She remarked stonily.

Sesshomaru scowled again before he shook his head and neared her, being faster than her as he turned her onto her back, surprising her.

Getsu blushed at seeing him hovering over her on all fours, lifting a hand to push on his chest and force him away; he caught her wrist, gripping it tightly in hand, her silver eyes lifting to stare up at his gold eyes to see that his patience was starting to wear thin.

"S-Sesshomaru," she began angrily.

"I'm not letting you up until you tell me." He stated, pricking her ears.

Blush stained her cheeks as she could clearly feel that his legs were too close to hers, a shiver rolling down her spine; she scowled up at him, seeing him scowl back as they stared each other down.

Their locked stares held for a good solid ten minutes before she reluctantly backed down, letting her head drop onto the ground beneath her.

"Why did you want to know why I was crying?" She asked softly, perking his ears.

He lowered his gaze, admiring the crescents stitched into the right shoulder of her kimono top. "For all intents and purposes, you're my mate. If something hurts you or makes you cry, it's automatically something I need to destroy. So if that half-breed made you cry, I have no choice but to kill him…" He explained, quieting as he recalled her tears again.

Blush colored her cheeks pink at his words; she looked up at the stars in the sky, a frown on her brow. "It wasn't InuYasha." She said, stirring him from his thoughts.

Sesshomaru looked at her, at the wistful look in her silver eyes that stared up at the stars overhead. "Then why?" He pressed.

Getsu closed her eyes, the memory of her sister's smiling face resurfacing, forcing a lump to swell in her throat. "Korihime, my sister. She's the reason I was crying; I saw you and InuYasha fighting and I… I don't understand it. Whether you like it or not, you two are still brothers! I'd give anything to have Korihime back…" She declared, hearing her voice sound hoarse by the time she finished explaining, tears rolling down her cheeks.

He quieted at her words and exhaled. "It's different, the affiliation between InuYasha and myself; it's not like with you and your sister." He replied softly.

She scowled, using her free hand to reach to stroke his cheek, surprising him; his gold eyes lowered to stare at her. "You're still family; to be honest, it sounds like you're all you have left of your old family." She declared in the same tone.

Sesshomaru released her wrist to lift his hand to cover hers, holding her hand there. "You miss your old clan more than I would." He mused.

Getsu smiled sadly, nodding. "They were my world, for as long as I could remember; but now they're gone. And I can't get them back, even if I were to take the Shikon Jewel and wish it with all my soul." She sniffed and then smiled again, this time a little lighter. "But I have you now, and honestly, I'm glad I met you that day." She admitted, her cheeks warming a little.

He smiled slightly, gingerly sitting up and letting her sit up as well. "I'm glad too. Even though my arm is gone, it's as if fate gave me you in its place." He said quietly.  
She rubbed her nose gingerly, smiling again. "That's a rather silly analogy," she mused.

Sesshomaru made a face, seeing her giggle. "Don't patronize me." He grumbled.

Getsu rolled her eyes and smiled, leaning forward to fold her arms around his shoulders, kissing him deeply; he blinked in surprise before he kissed back just as deeply, cradling the back of her head gingerly.

"Idiot dog demon," she teased softly, silver eyes meeting his gold eyes.  
He rolled his eyes, biting her lip. "Stubborn wolf princess." He remarked.

Getsu blushed and then smirked, running her fingers through his silver hair. "So I'm your mate," she guessed, her tone thoughtful as she blushed again at his open declaration of their relationship status.

Sesshomaru smirked as well, stroking her cheek. "As much as I'm yours." He replied; _it'd probably be more pleasurable on her nose to have my scent on her instead of that incompetent wolf demon's,_ he thought, inwardly shuddering at the thought as it made him bristle at having her belong to another _yokai_.

She had to admit that even though she'd never have liked being mated with a dog demon in the first instance, she sure as well liked it now that it was her reality.

* * *

His immediate pause slightly surprised her; she tilted her head to one side, stopping as well.

"Is something wrong?" She asked quietly, pricking her ears as the sound of the wind picking up hung in the air.

That man's scent stung sharply at her nose.

A growl ripped from her throat as the sight of that Kagura woman appeared before him. "You," she swung her foot at the woman's face, catching her off guard and forcing her to fly back, her heels digging into the ground.

Getsu slashed at her with her katana, making her draw further away from the dog _yokai_. "Why did you come here? Answer me now or I'll rip your throat open!" She growled coldly, silver eyes tight as she pointed the tip of her katana at her nose.

Kagura scoffed and smirked wryly at the angered wolf _yokai_, glancing past her at her intended reason for coming forward. "It's a pleasure to see you too, you miserable mongrel. Sesshomaru, call off your whore, will you? I didn't come to kill you." _At least, not today_, she thought, hearing a second growl rumble in the wolf _yokai_'s throat at her insults.

"Then why did you come?" Sesshomaru wondered stonily, stepping forward to extend his arm before his mate, surprising her.  
She scowled and reluctantly lowered her katana, glowering at the Wind Sorceress, bristling; if she dared strike at either him or her, Kagura was dead meat.

_I thought I smelled a mated dog_, she mused, glancing briefly at the bristling wolf princess, her red eyes resting on his gold stare. "Sesshomaru, I assume you came here following Naraku's scent as well?" She wondered.

"And if we did?" She wondered coldly.

"I didn't ask you, you wolf whore." She spat.

She growled, flexing her clawed hands as smoke started to rise from her fingers.  
"Getsu," he quieted her with a look; she scowled stonily at him, huffing.

He looked at her again. "Wind Sorceress Kagura, if I recall?" He acknowledged.

"You remembered me; I'm flattered." She said lightly.

Getsu huffed. "You've said your bit of formalities, good: now **get lost**." She growled, her silver eyes narrowed dangerously.

Kagura smirked. "Am I making you _uncomfortable_, Getsu of the Western Wolf Demon Tribe?" She wondered.

"I wouldn't goad her if I were you; Getsu has been dying to tear into something of Naraku for a while now." Sesshomaru intervened before the aforementioned wolf _yokai_ had the chance to spout a rebuttal, his hand lifting to the hilt of Tokijin.

Her lip curled slightly at the mention, seeing the wolf princess smirk wryly. "Take your hand from your sword, Sesshomaru; I didn't come to fight. Actually, I came with a proposition that you might find interesting." She declared, slightly surprising both _yokai_.

"'Proposition'?" He repeated.

She lifted her right hand, seeing the wolf _yokai_'s silver eyes sharply focus on the two Jewel shards she held in the palm of her hand. "You know what these are; in return for these two, I want you to kill Naraku." She declared.

"**WHAT**!?" The imp barked shrilly.

"What's the catch?" She demanded lowly, sheathing her katana.

"Free me; release me from his grasp." Kagura added.

Getsu flicked her wrist, a shot of blue fire whipping at her and snagging the two Jewel shards.

"Give those back!" She barked, lunging at her.

She took the two shards and stowed them in her kimono, katana drawn as she brought it up to block her attack.  
"Like I'd give them to a worthless vassal like you!" She propelled a foot into her gut, forcing her away as she brought up her katana defensively.  
"In case you didn't think it through, wouldn't Naraku be able to tell that you'd kept two shards from him? He has a bond with you that is something you loathe and are even willing to kill him for it to break. If he were to find out that you kept shards from him, he'd do it himself and kill you on sight." She wondered snidely.

Kagura growled and swung her fan at her, sending sharp waves of wind at her; she deflected them with her sword aimlessly, leaping at her.

"It'd be easier on ya if I kept the shards. **Blackened Wolf Fang**!" Getsu exclaimed; a wide shot of purple energy screamed at the Wind Sorceress.

She cried out as she was thrown back, managing to keep her footing on the ground and glaring at the wolf _yokai_, gripping the fan tight in hand as the wolf's power seemed to radiate around her body. _This wolf, just how powerful is she?_ She wondered, red eyes sharp.

She leveled the point of her katana at the _yokai_. "Stay away from Sesshomaru, if you value your life. I'll rip you to shreds if you so much as come near him again. Got it?" She snarled frostily, silver eyes like broken blades as she glowered at her.

Kagura scoffed at being on the defense, lifting her hand to take one of the feathers from her hair and drop it, the feather transforming into a larger version of the small feather as she hopped onto it, leaving the group without a word.

Getsu watched her disappear with the wind, sheathing her katana wordlessly; she looked down at her hands to see they were shaking slightly.

Sesshomaru moved to her side, clapping a hand on her shoulder; she looked at him in silent surprise, her silver eyes soft once more when she laid eyes on him, the _yokai_ she'd stuck her neck out to protect.

"Let's go." He urged softly, seeing her nod slightly and then smile a little, his hand dropping from her shoulder as he turned to start walking away from the cliff.

She looked at the girl to see she'd fallen off the dragon's back, shaking her head and sighing as she crouched down to scoop her up, holding her in her arms as she held onto her neck and following him.

_If that is only the surface of Miss Getsu's power then it'd be very frightening to see her at her full extent!_ The imp thought with a shudder as he led the dragon after the two _yokai_'s retreat.

::::::oOo:::::::

A soft breeze stole past her, whipping past her hair.

She scowled at the remains of the great dragon, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono;_ is this that great dragon demon Ryukotsusei, the one Sesshomaru's father defeated so long ago?_ She wondered.

"Lord Sesshomaru, do you honestly think this is InuYasha's doing?" The imp asked as he looked at the dead dragon.

"It's anyone's guess how he might've accomplished this." He replied, looking at the aforementioned beast that'd been slain by his younger sibling.

"Indeed; imagine someone like InuYasha defeating such a formidable foe. It took everything in your father's power to send Ryukotsusei into dormancy." He declared, perking up as the two _yokai_, dragon and girl walked away, yelping and sprinting after them.

She reached inside her kimono to pull out the two shards, looking at them admiringly, the faint lilac light gleaming off the small pieces.  
_Why would Koga want these? He's already strong enough without them_, she thought, frowning slightly before stowing one of them back inside her kimono, holding the larger of the two shards between her left thumb and index finger.

A nagging voice in the back of her head pointed out that if she used them, she could be twice as strong than she already was… perhaps strong enough to heal Sesshomaru's arm.

She glanced at him, seeing him glance back; she lowered her gaze, stowing the shard back in her kimono.

No, she would get stronger on her own; besides, he hadn't asked her to restore his arm, so if she tried to do it without his consent, he'd probably get angry.

* * *

A/N: _yeah, i know i made Getsu more of a badass in this chap. that's kind of my point with her though, y'know? as well as just seeing Sesshomaru's wall slowly melt as he falls hard for her /gets bricked by a sheathed Tensaiga_

_anyway, __**review please**__; thanks~_


	11. The Moment to Fight

A/N: _where we last left off, Getsu had stolen the Shikon Jewel shards from Kagura that she'd taken from Koga's legs, she (Getsu) contemplating on whether to use them to restore Sesshomaru's arm or to not use them. this chap takes place during a filler arc but it had enough action that i had to put Getsu into it (as well as the filler involving both of our favorite dog demons~). enjoy the chap! ^^_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

**_title ref - "**This is War**" by **30 Seconds to Mars**_**

* * *

**_Chapter 11: The Moment to Fight_**

He glanced at her as she finished sheathing her katana after polishing it, watching her admire the blade. "I'm surprised you didn't decide to jump into the water with Rin." He mused, stirring her attention away from the katana.

She looked at him and smirked, putting her katana aside and stretching her arms. "You'd love to see that, wouldn't you?" She teased gently, flopping to rest her head in his lap.

Sesshomaru blinked at having her head in his lap, smiling slightly and stroking her hair. "You have no idea," he remarked coolly, making her smile.  
Getsu giggled, smiling up at his gold eyes before she rested her cheek against his right thigh, feeling him continue to stroke her hair. "Sometimes I wish we could be like this forever, nothing trying to kill us and vice-versa; it's so peaceful." She admitted quietly.

He quirked a brow before his gold eyes softened and he nodded, resting his head against the tree he sat by. "It is." He said in the same tone.

A strange scent wafted in the air, stirring her from beginning to doze off; she blinked, sitting up quickly from lying with him, her hand reaching for her sheathed katana.

His gold eyes lifted and he heard a soft growl come from her. "Come on," he grumbled, shuffling to his feet quietly and lifting her up by the hand.  
She nodded, glancing back at the two members of their group and smiling softly before she followed him.

There was something in the air and it smelled like… _cat_…? If it was one thing she knew, cats and dogs didn't mix.

"The water," she began softly at seeing it turn to ice before her eyes, looking at him as he stopped. "Sesshomaru?"

"If it isn't Toran," he mused, greeting the perpetrator behind the water-turned-ice, making her look at the same person; her eyes widened slightly.

"It's been a long time, Sesshomaru." A female voice came from the _yokai_, revealing a pale faced woman with wild icy blue hair and dark blue eyes.

"I thought you were dead." He remarked lowly.

She chuckled. "That's a fine way to greet someone!" She replied.

Her hand rested on the hilt of her katana, seeing the woman's dark eyes rest on her.

"Oh, and who's this? Sesshomaru, you naughty dog! I'd always figured you were too arrogant to ever mate with a wolf demon." The woman wondered lightly, meeting her sharp silver eyes.

"Getsu, of the Western Wolf Demon Tribe." She returned stonily, glancing at her black cat tail that swished behind her. "The pleasure's all mine, kitty." She added snidely.

"So what possessed you to take in a weak princess like _her_?" The _yokai_ Toran asked him.

He extended his arm to defend his mate, slightly surprising her, his gold eyes cold. "Leave her be, this doesn't involve her; this is between you and I, Toran." He advised frostily; if this cat got her claws on Getsu… He didn't want to think about it.

Toran laughed softly. "My how you've changed! In my wildest dreams I never would have believed you would willingly give your life for the sake of a demon that's not even of your same breed." She taunted with a smirk.

Sesshomaru's jaw locked at her words, hearing Getsu growl softly at his back. _Don't act stupid, Getsu!_ He wanted to order her, but he kept his gold stare on the panther _yokai_ before him.

"This time, I'm going to settle things once and for all." Toran declared lowly.

"We settled things a long time ago, but if you insist, you won't be as lucky as you were fifty years ago." Sesshomaru replied, scowling slightly at her.

She seemed expectant. "You're still as boorish as ever, I see; even with that pretty-faced princess you're protecting so valiantly. I agree that things will turn out differently than they did fifty years ago, however; our master is waiting for you." She mused, pricking her ears.  
_  
Just what happened between them fifty years ago?_ She wondered.

"'Master'?" He repeated.

"Yes, our master; the one who leads the panther tribe. I realize your dear father is dead: but our master is going to be resurrected at long last." She declared, smirking.

His eyes were sharp as he looked at her. "Resurrected; for what purpose?" He asked.

"What else? To attack the lands in the east, but more importantly, to get our revenge on all your kind." Toran growled the last bit.

"I will personally see to it that he never breathes again." Sesshomaru growled back, slightly surprising her at hearing him sound so dangerous.

"I'm glad to hear you've accepted my challenge! Come, now, don't be so hasty; we won't battle it out here. Come to our castle, and bring all the reinforcements that you'll require!" The ice started to break around them as she raised her arms a little, the ice shattering until she disappeared from before them.

She huffed, releasing her katana's hilt. _That cat is dead in my book_, she thought with a scowl.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee! Look how many fish Master Jaken and I caught!" Rin barked as she ran towards them holding at least five fish up high for them to see.

"Jaken, the panther demon tribe is back." Sesshomaru informed the imp as he caught up to the girl, surprising him.

Getsu smiled at her, ruffling her hair and looking at the fish. "These fish look great, Rin!" She laughed gently.  
"Rin, listen to me; you are to stay here with Ah-Un." He instructed the girl.

"Right; I won't move from here!" She amended as he turned to walk away.

"Let's go, Jaken, Getsu." He declared, glancing back to see her glance at the girl.

Getsu smiled at her and stroked her hair gently, straightening to follow him. "We'll be back soon, Rin." She promised, seeing her smile back before she turned away.

The last thing he wanted was to put Getsu in danger, but if the panther tribe was as numerous as he believed them to be, then he had to bring her with him for backup; this vendetta was his problem alone and he didn't wish to bring her into it (even though he basically had no choice).

"So how do you know that whorish fur-ball?" She asked curiously, arms folded in the sleeves of her kimono top as she looked at him.

"My father destroyed her tribe leader, centuries ago. Apparently that group of overbearing cats still seeks revenge for what my father did." He explained quietly.

Getsu blinked before she smirked, huffing again. "Don't hold back on my account; I don't particularly like cats, especially ones that threaten my pack." She declared, pricking his ears.

Sesshomaru looked at her. "Since when are **you** so endearing?" He wondered.

Her cheeks warmed and she spluttered a huff, her left fist punching his right shoulder reprovingly. "Since now; you got a _problem_ with it?" She growled cattily.

He chuckled softly, ignoring the slight pain radiating from where her punch had landed. "Not in the slightest; to be honest, I find it to be very attractive of you." He replied, pricking her ears.

Getsu's cheeks burned a shade of red and she spluttered another huff, looking away. "Hush, you." She growled.

Sesshomaru smirked at her in amusement, squeezing her hand in his grip, making her blush again before she squeezed his fingers in response.  
Both _yokai_ slowed their walking to see there was a large _yokai_ waiting for them at the next corner.  
_  
Is that a dog..? Or is it a wolf?_ She wondered, looking at its big blue eyes that blinked a couple of times.

The wolf _yokai_ bowed his head lowly. "Lord Sesshomaru, I, Royakan, would be honored to serve under you once again!" He exclaimed.

"Not necessary." Sesshomaru declared, perking his ears.

"Please, Milord, I beg you to reconsider!" The _yokai_ named Royakan begged, looking at him with hopeful puppy-dog eyes.

She paused short of walking with him to tug on his sleeve, forcing him to stop. "Why aren't you allowing him to help?" She asked.  
He exhaled. "Royakan, leave before I lop off your head." He warned.

Getsu sweatdropped and turned to bow her head slightly to the _yokai_. "I'm sorry if he seems cruel, he's really not." She declared lightly.

"Let's go, Getsu." Sesshomaru tugged on her hand, dragging her along.

She pouted at him, looking back at the poor _yokai_. "Aww, but he looks so pitiable! _Sesshomaru!_" She wheedled.

"Perhaps you should consider using his assistance; we need help!" Jaken piped up worriedly.  
He scowled. "Not necessary." He repeated.

"The maybe we can get InuYasha's help this time!" The imp insisted.  
"Jaken," he began.

"Y-yes?" He wondered.

"Only you and Getsu need accompany me." He replied coolly, dragging her after his lead.

"Honestly, and you wonder why people think you're evil," she sighed patiently.  
He sweatdropped and rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest." He grumbled.

* * *

The cat tribe was surprised at the power of his attack.  
"**_Nagareboshi-kaen!_**" A wide stream of blue fire sailed at the red-haired female with an orange tail, forcing her to fly back from the roof she was standing on.

"Who the hell is that?" She spat at her attacker.  
A foot crashed into her head from the side, sending her flying with a yowl of pain.

"A wolf demon that seriously hates cats." She answered stiffly, resting her katana casually against her right shoulder.

"Getsu, there's no need to show off so blatantly." He chided calmly from the ground as she hopped down to land lithely next to him.

She rolled her eyes and smirked up at him. "Like you're one to talk, pulling such a big entrance." She chuckled, sheathing her katana.

"Oi, what the hell're ya two doing here?" The half-breed _yokai_ hollered, pricking her ears.

She waved lightly. "Yo, InuYasha. Been a while!" She replied with a smile.

His eye twitched, his brow narrowing. "Don't '_Yo_', me, Getsu! I asked ya a serious question!" He barked indignantly.  
_Sheesh, he acts like Jaken_, she thought with a sweatdrop; her nose lifted as she caught the familiar whiff of wolf. "That scent… Was Koga with you?" She asked, sniffing his _kosode_.

InuYasha blinked and then shoved her off with a frustrated growl. "Yeah, what of it!?" He demanded.

Her brow knitted into a frown and she huffed, looking away and crossing her arms in the sleeves of her kimono top. "I'm surprised he's skulking around here. Last time we talked, that jackass tried to kill me." She declared sorely, pricking his ears.

"He tried? Getsu, you told us that he had taken you in, when your clan was destroyed." The monk wondered of her.

She nodded. "It's a long story for another day… Hey!" She barked when InuYasha sniffed around her collar, surprising her and making her blush. "What the hell!?"

"Ah-ha, I thought I smelled something!" He quickly snatched two shards from the collar of her kimono top, holding them in hand.

"Give those back!" She barked, her left fist sailing into his nose and sucker-punching him, forcing him to yelp and drop the shards into her awaiting palm before she quickly stowed them in her kimono again.

"**_S-shit_**, that hurt!" InuYasha whined, blood spurting from his nose as he held it gingerly, glowering gold daggers at the wolf _yokai_.

"Those are personal, idiot. I was gonna give them to you lot as soon as I saw Kagome, considering she _**is**_ the priestess around here, but now I'm rethinking that." Getsu explained in an aloof tone, perking up as she felt a dark aura coming from behind her, sending a slight chill up her spine as she recognized who was sending the aura in her direction.

"Huh!? But that's not fair, you greedy wolf brat!" He cried indignantly.  
**_  
THWACK_**.

"If you address **_my mate_** like that _again_, I really will kill you, _InuYasha_." Sesshomaru growled stonily as he cracked his knuckles, ignoring the sight of his younger brother sporting both a bloody nose and a now-swollen bump on his head.

"**_What the hell is this, 'beat up on me' day_**_!?_" InuYasha exclaimed annoyedly, a vein twitching on his brow.

"If it is, I forgot to mark it on my calendar." Getsu mused thoughtfully, tapping her chin.  
"Shut up, Getsu!" He barked angrily.

"So what is the meaning of this, Kahran? Is it me that you have business with, or these people?" Sesshomaru addressed the rattled panther _yokai_ that picked herself up from among the rubble, shaking her head like a dog ridding itself of water from its ears.

"The elder brother has arrived, and with perfect timing! Though your whore's little fire blast wasn't called for." The _yokai_ named Kahran spat.

She huffed and smirked up at her, gripping and re-gripping the hilt of her katana. "Not threatened that a wolf knows fire? I'm surprised! I'd expect you to raise your hackles and hiss at me like a weak cat would." She taunted.

A vein made her brow twitch. "You damn mongrel…" She huffed and smirked at the older of the two dog _yokai_ brothers. "Sons of the dog leader, we'll be waiting for you at the castle." She declared, turning to spirit away into the darkness, the remains of her demon tribe following shortly.

Getsu spat after her, bristled. "And I'll be dying to rip your whiskers off, Kahran." She growled softly.

"Oi, if anythin', **I'm** the one who's gonna kill that cat! She's the one who took Kagome!" InuYasha piped up angrily, pricking her ears.  
"She took her? So that explains why her scent wasn't as strong as usual around you." She mused thoughtfully.

"So what the hell are you doin' here, Sesshomaru?" He turned on her mate, baring the Tetsusaiga brazenly.

"That's just what I was thinking: leave while you can." Sesshomaru replied sharply, perking his ears.  
"He's right; this is only going to get worse from here on." Getsu chimed quietly.

"What'd you say?" InuYasha spat, seeming to overhear her, making another sweatdrop form on her brow.

"This is my war; I won't let you get involved." He ordered, pricking her ears; she looked at him in slight surprise.  
_Is he telling him that to protect him for his own sake?_ She wondered.

"I don't need your permission; Kagome's been captured by those demon cats!" He barked.

"You are such a **fool**!" He swung Tokijin at him, forcing him to fly back into a hut.  
She sighed patiently. _Honestly_, she thought.

"Why the hell're ya attacking me for?" He barked as he scrambled out of the wreckage.

He looked dangerous, irking her a little. "**Silence**, InuYasha!" He spat angrily, flashing his teeth.  
"Sesshomaru," she began worriedly; he hardly ever showed emotion infront of his half-brother. _What is up with him; do these cats really have him on edge?_ She wondered.

He returned Tokijin to its place at his left side. "Remember your past, InuYasha: you lost your heart to a mortal and was put under a spell for fifty years, consequently, you have no reason to be part of this battle." He reminded coldly.

"Um, Lord Sesshomaru, we need all the allies we can get! We mustn't be too choosy at a time like this…" Jaken pointed out, perking up as he moved past him, stepping on him purposely.

Getsu scowled slightly at him, crossing her arms in the sleeves of her kimono top as she remained near the humans and InuYasha.  
"Getsu, come." Sesshomaru beckoned, pausing after stomping on the imp.

"I know you're probably going to run me through later after this, but we do need help. Those cats are something else, and if we take them on between you, Jaken and me, we won't make it out unscathed. Your father would've allowed help even if he could take on a full battalion of panther demons on his own! Sesshomaru, for once in your life, let them help. Please." She pleaded quietly, pricking his ears.

He scoffed under his breath at her words, hating that she was –once again— right. _I hate it when you're right_, he thought, exhaling and turning to stare at her, inwardly cursing as he saw that she had that stubborn look in her silver eyes that first attracted him to her so many months ago. "Getsu, **let's** **go**." He declared sternly, turning away.

She shot a look over her shoulder at the humans before she sighed, obeying reluctantly and following him.  
_I'm sorry, InuYasha_, she thought.

"Don't worry about him; if he has an ounce of a brain, he'll steer clear of the cats." He assured her quietly, perking her ears.  
She nodded and sighed. "Yeah, you're right." She grumbled.

::::::::oOo:::::::::

She bristled and gripped the hilt of her katana, glowering at the group of cat demons that had cornered them.

"You summoned me to come, so let me see your so-called master." He declared with his gold eyes on the panther _yokai_ that moved towards them.

"All in good time, once the preparations are complete; in the meantime, won't you stay here with me?" Toran remarked with a smirk.

She huffed and spat at her feet, a growl in her throat. "Keep your claws off him, kitty. If you want a fight, I'll be the only canine here to snap your back with my jaws." She promised lowly.

The panther chuckled and smirked at her. "Is that so?" She wondered, her voice a dangerous purr.

Getsu flashed her teeth threateningly. Okay, now she **_really_** hated cats!  
Jaken rambled on about something about going first before he used the staff, flames flying at the panther; she extended her right palm, a gust of icy wind flying at the imp and forcing him down before icicles shot at him.  
_  
I can't believe I'm doing this!_ She thought, extending her palms wide. "**_Nagareboshi-kaen!_**" Blue fire shielded the imp, making the icicles turn to water as soon as her flames touched them.

Toran smirked again. "Interesting, it's rare to see another clan be able to use fire, especially a wolf clan." She mused, pricking her ears as the wolf _yokai_ disappeared from sight.

"If ya were a nice kitty, I'd be grateful for that compliment." A shot of blue fire sailed at her back from behind, making her yowl in pain as she was knocked away.

Getsu's palms were on fire as she shot a cold look from one cat demon to the next as they tensed in their ranks, ready to strike the insolent wolf princess.

She looked down at the crimson that dripped from the injury to her right shoulder, clenching her teeth and scrambling to her feet. "You damn dog, you'll pay for that!" She rushed the wolf _yokai_, swinging her left palm out and sending a wave of icy shards at her.

"Keep the cats busy, Sesshomaru!" She leaped out of the way, doing a small sommer-sault before she slammed her feet into the earth, making wide jets of fire fly up at the panther _yokai_, forcing her to dance around the flames that tried to burn her feet and legs, distracting her.

Toran narrowly dodged the flaming fist that went sailing for her nose, yanking on her assailant's right leg and throwing her back into a hut.

Getsu heard another wave of ice be sent screaming at her, shaking her head fervently before she spirited away, dodging the attack and lunging at the panther.

She ducked the kick that was sent for her face, grappling for her _hakama_; she dodged her grab, skidding into the ground as she heard the cats be fended off by his Tokijin, practically feeling the pulsing aura from his sword so close to her skin, panting slightly.

"What's wrong, are you getting worn out already? I can imagine fighting your inevitable death can be taxing on a weak wolf princess." Toran sneered with a growl, tossing her mane of icy blue hair back.

Getsu grinned wryly and cracked her knuckles, smoke rising from her fingertips. "Is that what you think of me? Funny! I was thinking the same about **you**!" She twisted on her left heel, her right foot flying out and sending a shot of blue flames at the panther _yokai_, catching her off guard and sending her flying into the hut she'd recently crashed into.

She looked at the wrecked hut, slightly surprised that she'd managed to pull off firing flames from her feet; _that must be what my mother told me about, when I was little_, she thought, pricking her ears as a thick stream of ice shards sailed at her from the wreckage of the hut.

"_**Nagareboshi-kaen**!_" She blocked the sharp shards with a brief barrier of fire, seeing the shards melt on contact.

She crashed into her, taking her by surprise, her sharp claws trying to rip at her pretty face.

"Can't go pleasing that wretched mongrel with a beaten face, can you now, _you_ _bitch?_" Toran growled, drawing her left fist back as a dagger made of ice formed in her hand.

Getsu's left knee propelled into her gut, sending her flying back as she scrambled to her feet, katana drawn out of reflex. "Dunno, I'm not **you**, so I might be able to win him over!" She spat, ignoring the slight numbness in her cheeks as her skin regenerated slowly.

She yowled and flew at her again, her own katana drawn and swinging at her head; she blocked her quickly, shoving her off and sharply slicing at her open belly, blood flying. She cried out in pain, grunting and thrusting her foot into the gut of the wolf _yokai_, throwing her back; she flew at her in anger.

"**_DYING WOLF'S BLOOD_**_!_" She screamed, a wide jet of green energy screaming at the panther _yokai _and sending her flying, the stink of cat blood stinging her nose as she acknowledged that she'd made a direct hit.

Getsu sank to her knees, panting and gripping the hilt of her katana, shoulder shaking from the exertion on her body.

A loud cry sounded as Toran sailed at her, a long spear of ice held in both hands as she aimed it right at the wolf _yokai_'s forehead.

Blood flew in the air.  
She widened her eyes in shock; she looked horrified, specks of blood staining her cheeks as it had flew from the stab to her heart.

She slowly looked at her assailant's emotionless gold eyes. "Y-you…" She spluttered, crying out as he twisted the blade deeper into her chest cavity.

"I warned you that you wouldn't be as lucky as before." Sesshomaru growled coldly, his right hand gripping the hilt of Tokijin before he stabbed through her back, an involuntary pulse escaping the blade and making the skewered _yokai_ cry out again in agony as the blade's pressurized aura destroyed her form, disintegrating on the spot.

He flicked his wrist, sending the blood flying from the blade, before he turned to his mate.

She rubbed her right arm gingerly as he returned Tokijin to his side, slightly surprised that he'd dove in like that.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked her quietly, pricking her ears.

Getsu nodded, looking at him. "Yeah, but why… why did you save me?" She asked softly, seeing him look at her right arm before his gold eyes lifted to stare at her confused and awed silver.

He smirked slightly. "I said it before, remember? If something hurts you, then I have no choice but to destroy it." He replied in the same tone.  
She blushed, smiling humbly. "Thank you." She declared quietly.

He nodded, taking her hand. "Come, we still need to finish things here before we can go back." He replied, squeezing her hand gently before leading the way.  
Getsu smiled again and nodded. "Right!" She said.

* * *

The cat flopped into the water, smoke rising up from the surface.

She huffed. "Wet cat, anyone?" She wondered lightly.

He smirked at her comment, glancing at her. "I thought I told you to stay back because of your energy." He replied.  
She rolled her eyes and elbowed him gently. "I'm perfectly fine, now; besides, I wanted to gut this cat first." She assured him, a smirk on her lips.

He shook his head patiently, pricking his ears as the cat disappeared. _That's perfect; I had expected we would end her in one final blow_, he thought.

He was really starting to hate cats.

"C'mon, let's finish this." She declared, sprinting ahead of him inside the castle.  
He nodded and followed shortly at her heels.

::::::oOo::::::

"**KAGOME**!" The familiar bark of that wolf _yokai_ pricked her ears.

She looked up alertly from staring at the giant cat corpse, seeing the owner of the voice had landed on his ass on the ground. "Koga?" She wondered.

He followed her line of gaze and huffed, a growl starting to brew in his throat. "Focus, Getsu." He declared, stirring her attention away.

Getsu nodded. "Right," she replied, scowling at the giant cat and gripping the hilt of her katana.

The sight of InuYasha rushing in jerked her attention away, making her look at him.  
_The Tetsusaiga is red_, he thought in slight surprise.

The barrier shielding the corpse and humans was destroyed as soon as he swung the giant fang down.

"Since when does the Tetsusaiga break barriers?" She wondered softly, this factoid making the remaining cat demons balk in horror.

A sweatdrop formed on her brow as she saw both Koga and InuYasha fighting over Kagome; _honestly, you're acting like a lovesick puppy_, she thought, perking up as the cat _yokai_ tried to snatch the humans before InuYasha cut off his paw, making him yowl and back away.

The humans scattered and managed to make a break for it while the half-demon was busy fighting the cat _yokai_.  
She sighed. "Y'know, a little fire would do that oversized hair-ball some good." She mused, perking his ears.

Sesshomaru shot her a look. "Don't even…" He began.

Getsu kissed him lightly and winked. "Be back shortly!" She flew at the cat demon.

He sighed audibly and shook his head. _Sometimes I wonder about her sanity_, he thought, following at her heels; if it was one thing he knew, it was that Getsu got in over her head for at least half of the time they got into a battle.

But then again, her spitfire-attitude was something he was attracted to, as ludicrous as that would've seemed to him before they ever met.

"Head's up!" She barked as she sent a stream of blue fire at the oversized _yokai_, burning his extended paw and making him yowl loud in pain as the limb burned brightly, forcing the cat to fall back again.

The rest of the panther _yokai_ flew at InuYasha; "**_Nagareboshi-kaen_**_!_" Getsu extended her arms wide, sending a large shot of blue fire screaming at them, making them fall back.

He huffed, scowling at her. "I didn't ask for yer help!" He declared.

The wolf _yokai_ leader pricked his ears at the sound of her attack, looking over his shoulder. "Getsu...!" He began in surprise.

She scowled at him, huffing back and placing a hand on her hip. "You were going to be cat food if I didn't throw them back, idiot." She remarked.

"You damn dog!" A shot of electricity was sent sailing at her, making both canine demons fly back to dodge it.  
InuYasha brandished the Tetsusaiga as she drew her katana. "Get outta here, Getsu; these cats are mine." He ordered, perking her ears.

Getsu smacked the back of his head, striding forward. "Like hell! If anything, these flea-bags have my name written all over 'em!" She barked, seeing him wince from the blow she'd delivered.

A wide shot from the Tokijin sent the oncoming larger panther _yokai_ flying back, surprising both canine demons.

"Would you two _stop **arguing**?_" Sesshomaru spat, ignoring the pouting face of his mate.

"I told ya not to interrupt!" InuYasha rebutted annoyedly.

"Stay there where you are; these panther demons belong to **me**." He growled.

She sweatdropped; _here it goes again_, she thought.

He huffed. "Not this time; you'll hafta be the one to back down!" He barked.

"_**Enough**!_" He swung Tokijin at him, seeing him block it with the Tetsusaiga.

"**_Honestly_**, you two!" She groaned as they squabbled, slapping her forehead. _Geez, how long is this sibling-rivalry-crap gonna go on? It's annoying!_ She wondered, perking her ears as the giant cat _yokai_ groaned, his body quivering. "Uh-oh," she mumbled, looking at the two brothers. "**Sesshomaru**! **InuYasha**!" She called warily.

Their blades locked again as both brothers looked at her. "_**NOW WHAT**?_" They demanded in chorus.

The cat _yokai_ roared as he took in the life forces of the three remaining panthers, surprising the three canine demons, slowly transforming into a giant brown cat _yokai_.

"_This_ is just great," she grumbled.

"He devoured his own kin so that he could revive himself," InuYasha declared in surprise.

"Talk about demented," Getsu mused aloud as she drew back to stand at Sesshomaru's side, gripping the hilt of her katana.

'You two, sons of the dog general! You are next.' The cat _yokai_ growled loudly before his eyes gleamed red.

"Getsu, get out of here." Sesshomaru declared, perking her ears.

"Huh!? But, Sesshomaru…!" She began to protest.

He glared at her with hard gold eyes. "Do it!" His eyes softened slightly. "I'll come for you, I promise. Just go." He reassured her.  
She nodded, yanking on his collar to kiss him hard before she patted his cheek and spirited away.  
_  
Sesshomaru, don't you lose to that oversized cat!_ She prayed.

* * *

"Maybe he finally had some dog meat." He mused lightly.  
**_  
THWACK_**.

"_What was that_, _you __**idiot jackass**__?_" She cracked her knuckles, turned away from the wolf _yokai_ she'd sucker-punched the nose of.

"**OW, WHAT THE HELL THAT HURT**!?" He cried annoyedly, perking up as he saw her familiar silver eyes scowling at him, a hand placed on her hip. "Getsu," he began quietly.

She huffed and met his blue eyes. "That was for trying to kill me last time we met." She explained sharply.

Koga scoffed and looked away, ignoring the blood dripping down his lower lip from her sucker-punch to his nose. "You're still sore about that, huh?" He wondered.

Getsu's eye twitched; she kicked him in the groin, making him yelp and double over in pain. "Not really, no! Though you've got a lot of nerve to act like a _lovesick puppy_ around Kagome when it's _**clear as friggin' day**_ that InuYasha is more suited to be her mate than **you**." She scolded, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono top.

He looked up at her through one blue eye. "Y-you heard about that?" He wondered, glancing at the aforementioned priestess-reincarnate to see her blushing at the wolf princess's words.

"Of course I did! I can't believe you've stooped so low as to fall for a human. You've turned into more of an idiotic dog that thinks with his dick than when I was living with you, Koga." She declared annoyedly, perking his ears.

Koga's eye twitched. "Keep yer mouth shut, idiot!" He barked, glaring at her.

Getsu huffed, crossing her arms again and scowling at him. "I can still kick your ass if I want to, y'know." She growled.

He huffed and jerked his gaze away. "Piss off." He grumbled, pricking his ears as he caught the scent of dog hanging from her body; he sniffed the air near her. "Wait a minute; that stink…" He began curiously.

She blushed and then pushed on his chest, forcing him back. "What of it?" She demanded cattily.

"So **that** explains the same stench I caught off you last time! Ugh, but with a dog demon? _Seriously,_ Getsu!" Koga barked, waving at the stink with his hand.

Getsu's cheeks burned and she clenched her teeth. "Piss off, Koga! Besides, we're not in the same pack anymore so why should it bother you?" She spat annoyedly, bristling.

He huffed. "**It doesn't**! I guess it's just a shock to catch some dog's stink all over you. I never pegged ya to be one to downgrade her standards." He mused, pricking her ears.

She huffed back, her brow twitching in frustration. "For your information, Sesshomaru makes me **very** happy! And anyway, who the hell're you calling the kettle black? You're worse than me." She barked.

Koga guffawed. "_That oversized **dog**?_ Geez, but why!? He sounds like a heartless bastard!" He wondered.

Getsu sucker-punched him again, sending him flying back. "Shut up, you lovesick puppy!" She snapped.

"Seriously, you two…" Kagome sweatdropped, perking up as she felt the cat _yokai_ had been slain at last.

An arm draped across her waist possessively, perking her ears; she looked up at his gold eyes. "Why is it I leave you alone for five minutes and you can't make it without causing some sort of disturbance?" He wondered patiently.

She blushed, spluttering a huff and looking away. "Shut up," she grumbled, perking up as he dragged her away by her waist. "Hang on a second," she slipped out of his grip to trot to the girl, reaching inside the folds of her kimono. "Here," she handed her the two Jewel shards, surprising Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Kagome and Sesshomaru.  
"Getsu," he began quietly.

"Why did you give me these?" Kagome asked confusedly, meeting her silver eyes.

Getsu shrugged. "I **_was_** going to give them to you earlier, but InuYasha said you'd been kidnapped by those flea-bags." She smiled lightly. "You guys need them more than I do, anyway." She added, turning away to return to his side.

"Thank you, Getsu." She replied as Koga straightened and rubbed his head gingerly.

"See ya!" She waved lightly over her shoulder.

Sesshomaru glanced back at the gathered humans, his gold eyes finally rounding on the blue stare of the wolf _yokai_; he huffed and his arm on her waist tightened possessively, a smug glint flashing in his gold eyes.

"What's with the face?" Getsu wondered, stirring his attention to her again.

He smirked at her, squeezing her waist. "It's nothing." He replied.

She pouted, looking away with a huff. "You're so weird sometimes," she sighed.

* * *

A/N: _aww, Sesshomaru is so cute when he's jealous~! /gets bricked by the aforementioned fluffy dog lord lol **ANYWHO**~ so yeah i made Getsu more kickass in this chap, well enough to the point where she can use the stronger attack of her **Mangetsuga** at will. Koga makes a cameo too because of his lovesick-puppy gimmick with Kagome /dodges a kick from the wolf demon and Getsu finally figures what to do with the Jewel shards she stole. i was personally trying to decide what she should do with them, either give them to Kagome or keep them and use them to up her abilities and restore Sesshomaru's arm. anyway, i think that's all i've got for today. _  
_**  
EDIT**: idk if i got the panther demon tribe's names right.. i just typed them as best as i could pronounce the names, so don't kill me. **also**, **shoutout to VampireSiren for the idea about the Sesshomaru/Koga issue! thanks a mil and i love your reviews~ ;D**_

_**review** please! thanks~_


	12. Silent Force of the Rising

A/N: ohaiyo_~ sorry for the waited update! /bows slightly_  
_anyway, where we last left off, Getsu and Sesshomaru had joined forces (reluctantly on Sesshomaru's part) with Koga and InuYasha to fight off the vendetta-crazed panther _yokai_ tribe. (it never occurred to me until now that it was literally a pack of canines that defeated the panther tribe.. ironic ain't it? lol) defeating the overgrown cats, Getsu finally gave the two shards she'd taken from Kagura to Kagome for safekeeping (of sorts) and got into a sibling-esque argument with Koga, braining him a couple of times and wracking him once. anywho, enough of my rambling.. enjoy the chap! ;D_

_** title ref - the __**Silent Force Album (2004)**__ by __**Within **__**Temptation**__ & "__**Rising**__" by the __**Yoshida Brothers**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 12: Silent Force of the Rising_**

Birds chirped in the dying twilight.

She sighed.

He looked at her as she was busy polishing her sword. "What is it?" He wondered.  
She shrugged, admiring the blade of the katana before sheathing it. "I hope Rin is doing okay," she mused.

Sesshomaru smirked slightly at her. "You seem to care a lot about her," he said thoughtfully, perking her ears.  
Getsu blushed slightly and smirked at him, resting her head against his shoulder. "You hardly show much affection, so one of us has to be like that around her. She's just a little girl, y'know. If she doesn't have anyone to look out for her, then why not me?" She replied quietly, feeling his arm drape around her waist.

He smiled at hearing her kindness towards the girl, squeezing slightly. "Good point," he mused.

She pulled away to stretch her arms to the sky with a yawn, lying down against him. "I've never seen you look so jealous." She said, pricking his ears.

Sesshomaru looked at her. "Where's that coming from?" He asked warily, seeing her get comfortable and rest her head on his knee.

"That day when you and InuYasha slew the cat demon leader; I'd never seen you act so possessive. Guess it was because Koga was around." Getsu mused.

He huffed and cut his gaze to the side, seeing her eyes close serenely. "I didn't think you'd noticed." He said quietly.  
She chuckled softly. "This nose doesn't miss much, love." She replied.

Sesshomaru scowled, inwardly cursing her keen senses. "Honestly," he grumbled, looking away.

Getsu smiled gently. "Don't get so huffy; to be honest, I think it's sweet. Shows how much you care about me." She mused aloud.

He quieted and then smirked slightly, lowering his hand to stroke her hair. "My saving you at least on more than one occasion isn't considered enough proof that I care about you?" He remarked.

She pouted up at him, silver eyes knowing. "Those were flukes." She sniffed.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure they were." He mused, teasing her now.  
She growled under her breath and blushed slightly, looking away. "You're so mean," she grated sorely.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes again, tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear. "You're complaining now, but you'll get over it." He pointed out.

Getsu sniffed in a childish manner, closing her eyes indifferently.

He pricked his ears, inwardly noting that the scent of the wind had changed; she sniffed the air, eyes opening, before she sat up quickly, on her feet as he also shuffled to his feet.

Her hand lowered to the hilt of her katana at her hip as she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her belly that made her uneasy.

Something was up and it smelled rank.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The voice of the toad imp cried before his short form was seen sprinting forward to the two _yokai_, alertness and fear in his shrill bark. "Young Rin has been abducted; Naraku's incarnation Kagura appeared out of nowhere and took off with her!" He informed the couple.

A soft growl rumbled in her throat at the mention of that bitch. "What direction did she go in, Jaken?" She demanded, scowling at the imp as the uneasy feeling made her insides knot.

"Let me reassure you, Lord Sesshomaru." That man's familiar low voice echoed from the darkness of the wood, pricking her ears alertly; the sound of buzzing hornets rang out, humming dangerously close.

Wordlessly she drew her katana, her clawed hand gripping the hilt shaking in anticipation; even though she knew this was just a puppet of his, the simple idea of cutting Naraku to ribbons thrilled her to no end.

"If you heed my request, I shall return Rin in good health." Naraku declared, bowed respectfully before the dog demon lord, the hornets buzzing loudly around him.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just cut your bleeding head off and then take her back?" Getsu growled, steering his attention away from the noble _yokai_, feeling her subconscious screaming and banging at the back of her mind to strike him now.

"Still nursing that old injury, are you, princess of the western wolf clan?" The puppet drawled.

She allowed a soft snarl that escaped from between her fangs, bristling like mad as the pain of remembering that ill-fated night stung sharply.

"We meet again; so what do you have up your sleeve this time?" The dog _yokai_ wondered, throwing a stony look to silence his mate.

He seemed like he was elated that he hadn't reacted with hostility. "Nothing special: I simply want you to kill InuYasha." He replied simply.  
She bristled again.  
_He's one twisted bugger, why the hell doesn't he just do it himself?_ She wondered in disgust.

The wind whistled softly around them for one agonizingly silent moment.

Sesshomaru smirked bitterly. "Why're you going to all this trouble for something trivial?" He asked; he leaped past her, slicing the head off of the puppet in one effortless swipe.

Getsu spat at the substitution's head, a fang in her grimace. "Disgusting prick," she growled a curse.

"Does Naraku honestly believe he can threaten me into action by endangering the life of a mere mortal?" He wondered aloud.  
"Will you turn your back on the girl; will you forsake her?" The imp asked him curiously.

He glanced at his rattled wolf princess and then looked away before she noticed, turning away to start walking. "Getsu," he beckoned blankly.  
She followed wordlessly, sheathing her katana, coming short of his left side.

"I'm not doing this for you, you know."

"I know; you're doing it just to piss off that repulsive half breed."

"You know me well; I'm impressed."

"I've stuck with you this long, darling. With a keen sense, how else would a humble princess like me not survive living with you?"

"Don't kid yourself; the word 'humble' doesn't resonate with your standing."

"Stow it, dog demon."

* * *

"Why did you stop; is something the matter?" The toad asked confusedly.

"Do you smell it?" He asked her.

Her nose wrinkled, a grimace making her lip curl. "It reeks of his ilk, alright: he's been here all along, the cheap fucker."

The imp looked about in further confusion. "I don't see a castle, milord."

She huffed, stealing a sly look at her mate. "Rethinking joining forces with your brother?" She wondered, recalling the barrier-shattering technique of his father's most powerful fang.

His lip curled in an almost flash of his teeth. "Don't be ridiculous." He quipped cattily, seeing her turn her head and snicker.

The air infront of them pulsated, looking like ripples in the atmosphere, shocking the imp (not that it would take a lot to surprise the little amphibian, she deduced with a sweatdrop); the barrier was opening.

Getsu trotted forward once it was open, Sesshomaru flanking her, with a flustered Jaken at the rear.

If he hurt one hair on that girl's head… She didn't want to think about it. Just of the innumerable ways she would cut him to ribbons and then burn the remains with a flick of her wrist. _Rin, please be okay_, she thought.

The toad imp cowered behind the two strong _yokai_, earning a bemused smirk from the wolf princess.

"Getsu, stay at my back; if things get rough, take Rin and flee. Understood?" He instructed, pricking her ears.

She nodded slightly and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from letting him see the worried twinge in her pretty face at his words. "Got it. Just promise that I'll be the one to rip him apart." She replied quietly.

He smiled grimly at the mental image of seeing her claws stained with that half-breed's blood, nodding slightly in amendment. "You can even burn what's left of his remains." He said, sounding jovial.

A pleased grin stretched across her face, the vengeance of tasting that man's blood so close to her she could practically taste it, sending a ripple of happiness and victory racing down her spine.

"You purposely leaked your scent so that we would follow you here to your castle." Sesshomaru mused, coming to a calm halt, forcing his companions to halt too; bright embers of blue fire ignited in the torches surrounding the perimeter of the main building, spooking the imp again.

"Would you have come otherwise?" Naraku's drawling voice rebutted from the inner recesses of the main building, making her bristle and her lip curl to reveal her fangs in a silent threat.

Another of his puppets appeared from out of the thick miasma around them, ominous and repulsive as ever, sitting calmly on the high-raised porch. "I must inform you that the mortal girl you seek is not here in my castle. She would never be able to persevere in this poisonous miasma. The girl is under my protection outside the castle walls, I assure you she is unharmed... for now." He explained; her eyes widened slightly as she realized that this was no puppet...

This was the real thing, the real Naraku.

"Naraku, do me the honor of recognizing that I am not here simply to save Rin." He retorted stiffly, irking the imp; she quirked a brow wordlessly at his words, smelling the bluff behind his retort from a mile away and smirking wryly to herself.

_Smooth, love, smooth,_ she thought.

"Of course; you of all people seem to despise taking orders from others, you would not kill InuYasha when told to do so, nor did you come to look for the girl. I realize that you are here to kill me." The half-breed bastard stated in another drawling tone.

She huffed and drew her katana quietly, glowering at the puppet. "What the hell makes you think it's just _him_ that wants to kill you?" She sneered, a growl brewing in her throat.

"You sound as if you led me into your trap." Sesshomaru declared with a smirk of derision, feeling her power pulse slowly to the point where he could almost taste it in the air. "Perhaps I should have you explain it later, before Getsu burns your disgusting remains into ash: if you survive the night, that is." He added dangerously, cracking his knuckles as her own turned white from the tight grip she had on her katana's hilt.

Naraku chuckled blackly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I'm honored by your visit. I'm especially honored to see the great Princess of the Wolves Getsuei alive and intact; I see the disagreement between your pathetic father and I five years ago hasn't changed your resolve to see me dead. So in return, I will gladly accept your challenge." He groaned the last sentence, a creaking sounding as long and thick appendages of different dark shades sprang out from beneath the baboon cloak, stretching high overhead the two _yokai_ by at least eight feet, chest naked, red eyes gleaming malevolently, his long wavy brown hair flowing down his back.

He scoffed. "A collection of rejected demons." He mused in disgust, deadpanned despite the growling wolf princess at his left and the cowering imp at his back. "Is this your true form, Naraku?"

"'True form'? No; my body is far from being complete." He sneered; one of the long brown insect legs arched, stabbing at the ground where the _yokai_ were.

Both _yokai_ jumped out of the way in time as the toad fell away out of the leg's reach, scrambling into hiding; he scoffed again. "You'll destroy me for simply not doing as you wish?" He wondered snidely.

The faint stink of that Kagura bitch hung behind her; she realized that she wasn't the major threat at the moment, keeping herself from whirling around to attack and leaving him one blade short.

Sesshomaru drew the Tokijin, swinging the blade as two sets of three thick arms flew at him, the aura from the sword destroying the limbs instantly.

"Getsu," he nodded to her; she spirited forward, narrowly dodging one of the spindly brown insect legs, leaping overhead.

"**BLACKENED WOLF FANG**!"

A wide shot of purple energy screamed at the half-breed, almost making a direct hit where it not for the various limbs that sailed at her as she stood atop the building's wooden roof. "Piece of rat shit," she spat, swinging a leg out and burning the limbs with a jet of blue fire, the limbs disintegrating upon contact, some of them recoiling from her flames.

"Naraku, you're a pathetic demon." He declared. "You will never have the power or resources to harm me." He added.

He chortled softly, a dark light glittering in his red orbs. One of the limbs Sesshomaru had cut reformed itself, latching onto his left leg.

"Sesshomaru, look out!" She barked alertly as the half-breed sent long gangly limbs sailing at him; she leaped off the roof, a growl in her throat as she slammed the soles of her feet onto the earth, making jagged fissures shatter the surface as large jets of orange flames sailed up at the charging enemy, derailing his focus for the briefest second.

"Oh, so Kagura's deducing was correct after all; how quaint." Naraku mused aloud as she stood between him and her mate as he retreated to the ground from slicing at the limbs that flew at him and sent him into the air moments ago, seeing her bristling and glowering stonily at him.

"How long do you intend to keep up this ludicrous farce?" Sesshomaru rebutted before she could, gently pulling on the scruff of her kimono to bring her back to his side.

The sound of the limbs regenerating around them pricked her ears in alert; she glared at the limbs, a growl in her throat.

A look of fear flickered in his pale face, red eyes widening ever so slightly; _did someone break through the barrier?_ She thought.

"Kagura, after him." He commanded, the wind _yokai_ disappearing at his command.

"An unexpected guest, Naraku?" He wondered, his tone almost taunting. "How very unfortunate for you; I would imagine his journey here would end in vain." He gripped the hilt of Tokijin. "By the time he arrives, you'll be dead!"  
He swung the sword at him, a jet of blue energy screaming at the half-breed, destroying the longer and thicker demon limbs around him.

"Getsu, stay back there." He ordered without looking back at his mate as she hung back a few feet away.

She quieted and nodded, glaring at the half demon. "'Kay," she amended, glancing at the scattered sliced limbs around them. _Is this all Naraku had planned for an offense? Or is there something else he's got up his sleeve?_ She thought, gripping the hilt of her katana out of habit.

Her ears pricked as he started laughing, slightly irking her; _what the hell is he so happy for?_ She wondered.

"Naraku, you seem preoccupied by what's going on outside these walls." Sesshomaru mused, pricking her ears and stirring her attention away from the twitching limbs he'd cut.

"Sesshomaru, I'm afraid that I'll have to cut our visit short. I'll have your power: every last bit of your demonic power." Naraku sneered; his aura pulsated before the limbs around them flew at him, wrapping and coiling around his body.

"No!" Getsu barked, making to sprint at the aggravating half-demon with her blood singing in her ears.

"Get away, Getsu; **now**!" He commanded sharply, making her stop and come to a halt, silver eyes wide.

"Sesshomaru," she began worriedly.

"**Do as I say**. Quickly!" He snapped coldly, making her ears twitch as she almost recoiled from the harsh tone he used; he didn't mean to sound hard on her, but he didn't want her to get eaten by a disgusting piece of shit like Naraku.

She flew back at least twenty yards away, her teeth bared in a grimace as her hands shook visibly on the hilt of her katana; her silver eyes were trained on the thick green limbs that pulsed in their grip on her mate. She bristled and allowed a low growl to escape her throat as the limbs consumed him, more limbs joining in as they pulsated in their grip they held.

Her silver eyes shut tightly against the angered tears that stung her eyes; she sprinted forward at the chuckling half-breed.

"**_DYING WOLF'S BLOOD_**_!_" Getsu screamed, a large shot of green energy sailing at the distracted Naraku, steering his attention away from devouring her mate; several of the limbs he used to block her attack were destroyed on contact, making surprise register on his pale face.

Naraku snickered, staring at the thoroughly-pissed-off wolf princess, pure hatred and vengeance screaming behind her cold silver stare, her aura pulsating dangerously around her petite form. "I hadn't forgotten you, _princess._" He mused, sending several limbs flying at her.

Blue fire burned the limbs on sight, making him recoil from her sharp surge of power.

"Destroying my clan and burning my home to the fucking ground isn't enough for your greedy twisted mind, I see. Let him go and I won't burn your face off with my claws, you damn half-breed." She thundered, fangs showing in her disgusted and angered expression that marred her pretty face.

He twitched at hearing that she knew what kind of demon he was, another snicker escaping him.  
"Oh, so you have grown up after all, you whimpering pup. Mating with a dog demon lord as powerful as Sesshomaru seems to have given you a backbone too. The thought of releasing him is ridiculous!" Twelve limbs sailed at her.

She disappeared from sight, briefly catching him off guard; blue fire was sent screaming at his right side, burning the limbs he brought up to block the oncoming blow.

His red eyes glanced around as the limbs pulsated around her mate, searching for any sign of her form.  
"This is reminiscent of that last day I saw your father's disgraceful face; you were cowering that day, too. Just like the weak little bitch you are." He mused.

A sharp blow to his left shoulder signaled she'd made contact, two limbs flying at her as blood dripped down his bare collar bone; blue fire disintegrated the limbs instantly before she landed lithely on her feet near her mate.

The stink of being so close to his limbs was almost unbearable; her palms ignited as she sensed that the limbs faltered in their grip on his body, standing back a few feet and extending both palms out at the limbs.

"This might burn a little," she grumbled a warning to him, grunting and sending two torrents of blue fire at the cocoon, smoke rising from the shell as she continued to wage an offense against the coiled limbs, vainly praying she could pull him out of there without getting caught up by the limbs.

"Insolent whore!" A wide branch-like limb sailed at her from the side, smacking her sharply from the right and sending her flying with a brief yelp of surprise.

Pain blossomed in her ribs she imagined were cracked from the blow; she glared up past locks of ebony hair that got in her face at the torrent of limbs that flew at her slightly prone positioned body.

_Sesshomaru!_ She mentally screamed his name, her palms flaming up beneath her weight.

"**_WIND SCAR_**_!_" A thundering growl rang in the air; her eyes widened in surprise.

:::::::oOo:::::::

Getsu looked up to see the red-clothed form of the half-demon _yokai_ standing there infront of her yards away, between her and the decimated form of Naraku.

"InuYasha," she acknowledged quietly, pricking his ears; he looked down at her, gold eyes surprised.

"G-Getsu!? Are you alright?" He asked alertly, extending a hand to help her up.

She took his hand, steadily getting to her feet, scratches and dirt marring her pretty face; she smiled wryly, rubbing her right arm gingerly. "I've had worse." She shrugged, fighting a wince at the pain that radiated from her right side.

He smirked wryly at her response, looking at the cocoon she'd tried to destroy. "He's in there, isn't he?" He wondered, referring to his arrogant older brother.

Getsu nodded and flashed a fang in her grimace. "Regrettably; I'd hoped to get him out of there but Naraku stopped me before I could break through with my wolf fire." She replied grimly.

InuYasha huffed and glared at the insolent half-breed, brandishing the Tetsusaiga. "Finally found you, Naraku; and today I'm gonna destroy you." He declared.

Naraku huffed, panting slightly from getting the blow from Tetsusaiga. "Don't make me laugh; do you really think you can destroy me?" He jeered.

He sensed her aura pulsate angrily next to him; "Two heads are better than one, right?" She growled, spitting at the half-breed before them.

He nodded, glancing at the cocoon she'd tried dismantling; _come to think of it, I haven't really seen the power of her sword yet_, he thought, glancing at the katana she held in both hands. _Is it as strong as my Tetsusaiga, or Sesshomaru's Tokijin?_ He wondered.

"If you're wondering about my skill, it's not as powerful as your brother's, but it's powerful enough for a wolf demon without the use of Shikon Jewel shards." She mused, pricking his dog ears.

InuYasha huffed and smirked. "Regardless, I've gotta hand it to ya to have come this far without using the shards. That dickfaced Koga uses three of them in his limbs, the greedy prick." He remarked.

Getsu snickered softly. "Is that a compliment coming from the famous InuYasha? I'm honored." She teased.

He made a face similar to a pout and looked away. "Piss off, wolf girl." He growled.  
She giggled. "Don't be so damn modest, half-breed." She quipped lightly.

Naraku chuckled. "InuYasha, you've grown strong enough to break through my barrier."

"Naraku, you're not escaping this time; prepare to die!" InuYasha flew at him, cutting through the various limbs that sailed at him with ease.

Getsu sprinted after him, coming short of the cocoon; she tried the same technique she'd used before he'd stepped in, two wide jets of blue fire sailing at the cocoon's shell. "Sesshomaru, I don't know if you can hear me, but please; stay with me! I love you!" She declared, gritting her teeth and using a bit more of her power to try and break the cocoon.

A cry of surprise rang from the half-breed dog, pricking her ears; she glanced away from the cocoon and widened her eyes slightly. _Not him too!_ She thought, inwardly cursing Naraku to the lowest pit of hell for eternity.

"You're too late, InuYasha; I have already consumed Sesshomaru. I don't think your half-demon power would do me any good." He drawled to the struggling half-bred _yokai_.

_Damn, where's a sacred arrow when you need one?_ She thought, pricking her ears again as a limb sailed at her from behind; she flew away in time, jarred from trying to break him free, landing lithely on the ground with a curse between her teeth.

"And of course I never forgot about you, Princess Getsuei." Naraku declared, sending more limbs surging at her.

"No, Getsu!" InuYasha cried, growling and breaking free in time, sprinting at Naraku and swinging Tetsusaiga down; a large blast from the fang screamed at a surprised Naraku, further decimating his form.  
"Sesshomaru!" Getsu shouted, yelping slightly as he grabbed her scruff and pulled her behind his arm; she clawed at his back, tears forming.

"Let me go, InuYasha! Please! Sesshomaru is…" She barked, pricking her ears as the cocoon shattered at last, falling down around his form as he brandished Tokijin vertically.

"Sesshomaru!" InuYasha declared as she choked back a moan of relief behind him, lowering his arm from barring her passage.

"Naraku; ironic, isn't it? To think that the flesh that bound me to you would be a shield against InuYasha's Wind Scar." Sesshomaru stomped on a discarded limb with his boot.

"Move it, I'm the one taking him down!" He barked as he tried to get in the way.

"No, Naraku belongs to me." He rebutted coolly.

"Not likely! This time you won't interfere!" He protested.

She sweatdropped at the sight and slapped her forehead. _Honestly, this is a repeat of the panther demon incident_, she thought with a vein twitching on her brow, perking up as he stretched high into the air over the three of them.

"Getsu, retreat now; I'll be just fine here." He ordered, pricking her ears.

She scowled worriedly at him before nodding and reluctantly obeying, retreating to where Jaken had been hiding (which wasn't very far, but still.. the impudent little frog!).

"M-miss Getsu! What're you doing; shouldn't you be assisting my lord?" The imp balked as the two brothers fought against the half-breed.

She shook her head. "He made me retreat." She answered simply, widening her eyes slightly as it took a final strike from both the Tetsusaiga and Tokijin that shattered the large form Naraku had become.

He disappeared in a thick cloud of miasma, rising into the air in a purple tornado with the hornets surrounding him.

Her eyes widened again at seeing anger surge through him, forcing his aura to become red and his eyes to turn red; "Sesshomaru, don't do it!" She sprinted to his side, skidding to a halt as Naraku reminded them of the girl.

_Rin!_ She thought, looking at him to see he'd calmed instantly. "Sesshomaru," she lifted a hand to his cheek warily, her claws touching his cheekbone gingerly.

He looked at her, at the worried and angered and slightly fearful light in her silver eyes that looked to be on the verge of harboring tears; he quieted, inwardly cringing at the sight of her near tears as Naraku vanished from sight at last.

"Hold onto me." He urged quietly as he rose into the air; she yelped slightly and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto his chest as he went up higher.

"Sesshomaru, where's Rin?" She asked him, looking up at his stoic face.

"Are you injured?" He returned, perking her ears. She shook her head, looking down, her hair dancing softly in the night breeze. "It doesn't hurt like earlier." She shrugged.

Sesshomaru frowned at her softened tone, his hand stroking her hair. "I'm sorry I scared you like that." He declared.

Getsu shook her head again. "I said I was alright. Besides, so long as you're alive, I'm glad." She assured quietly.  
He smiled slightly; _typical Getsu_, he thought.

* * *

The boy raised the sickle.

"Get away from her!" A hard kick to his side from the right forced him away from the girl, the sickle flying from his hand. She caught it expertly, yanking the chain from the girl's legs and tossing the sickle away. "Rin! Rin, it's me," she cried, shaking her gently.

Her eyes opened slightly, meeting a pair of worried silver eyes before her big brown eyes opened wide; "Getsu-onee!" She exclaimed, throwing herself into the older female's arms.

Getsu groaned in relief and held her tightly, running her claws through the girl's brown hair. "I'm glad you're alive," she said gently, scooping her up from the ground and straightening, perking up as the boy ran for the two females; she dodged effortlessly, making him skid and then round on them.  
She dug her claws gently into the girl's side as a feral growl of defense ripped from her throat, katana held tight in her right hand.

"G-Getsu-onee," Rin began worriedly in her arms, trying to look over her shoulder at the sight before the older girl forced her head to look away.

"Don't look back, Rin." She growled softly to her, perking up as he turned to stare at her mate standing a few feet away.

"Oh, you're showing your blade at me." He acknowledged coldly, lifting his clawed hand in threat.

"Kohaku!" InuYasha declared as he arrived seconds later, his fist sailing into the boy's cheek and knocking him on his back. "What do you think you're doing, you fool!?" He scolded.

Getsu blinked in confusion, sheathing her katana as she realized that they were familiar with the boy, perking her ears as Kagome had arrived as well.

"Getsu, is she alright?" The priestess-reincarnate asked her, coming forward.

She nodded, smiling slightly. "She's just fine." She replied, perking her ears slightly as both brothers argued a little again before the boy Kohaku was lifted into the air by his throat after he tried to strike Sesshomaru (and was blocked by InuYasha, as she'd figured).

"Sesshomaru, Rin's alright; don't hurt him!" Getsu declared, holding the girl close again.

He let the boy go after a long agonizing moment, watching him run off before he was taken back by Kagura, the wind whipping behind them as they fled into the night.

She sighed in relief, setting the girl down on the ground. "You okay, Rin?" She asked gently.

She nodded, smiling lightly. "Thank you for saving me, Getsu-onee!" She replied as they both walked to his side.

"You two seem back to normal." Sesshomaru noted, pricking her ears; a dark aura seemed to radiate around her petite form as her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"**IDIOT**!"

**_THWACK_**.

He winced from the blow to his head; both InuYasha and Kagome balked at the sight.

"You had me worried sick! I almost thought Naraku had gotten you, you arrogant idiot dog!" She scolded annoyedly, planting a hand on her hip as she scowled up at him.

InuYasha guffawed as the bump swelled on his brother's head.

**_THWACK_**.

"Ow, what the hell!?" He yelped, a large matching bump swelling on his own head.

Kagome and Getsu sweatdropped at the sight of both males sporting matching bumps; Rin was covering her mouth with both of her small hands to valiantly try and hide the giggles that escaped her.

"Let's get moving, before Jaken has a bleeding coronary." Getsu mused patiently, scooping the human girl up in her arms and letting her latch onto her neck like a toddler as she dragged her mate by the hand away into the darkness. "See ya later, InuYasha, Kagome-chan!"

"...That hurt, you know."

"S' what you get for worrying me like that."

"For some reason I knew that was coming."

"I've been traveling with you for over four months; you'd have to be friggin' blind to not see a beating comin' from me."

"I can tell you're still pissed off; you only talk like a boy when you're pissy."

"... Piss off."

"I rest my case."

**_THWACK_**.

"Rest your case on _**that**__,_ ya bleeding oversized fluff-ball…"

A drawn out patient exhale escaped his lungs; even though she had a killer right hook, Getsu was still his Getsu.

* * *

A/N: _i actually enjoyed writing this chapter more than i have the previous chaps; there was more fighting in it (which is the main reason i wrote this fic is because seeing Sesshomaru in combat is just plain sexy.. /coughs and dodges getting bricked from said demon lord) and things technically got off on good terms in the end.  
as well as we get to see our favorite Wolf Princess in action! ;D ironic enough, when i Wiki'd the episodes i covered with this chap (80-81), ep. 80 was considered 'MA'.. how the friggin hell is it 'MA'? there wasn't much nudity, actually it was mostly FA (fantasy action) and fight scenes.. humph, guess it's considered 'MA' because __**[AS]**__ was trying to keep things borderline PG-13 for younger watchers or something along those lines. anywho, enough of that. more coming up soon, so look forward to that._

_what no reviews last time? pity.. anyways, __**review**__ please~ thanks! ;D_


	13. Zombie - I'll Risk it all (4You)

A/N: _on the previous chap, Sesshomaru and Getsu had to rescue an abducted Rin from the confines of Naraku's castle. mostly action scenes and angst in battle, but the ending was good. not much else to put, other than this is a filler chap compliments of me, so enjoy the chap!_

_**disclaimer**__: InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Zombie**__" by __**The **__**Cranberries**__/ "__**E.T.**__" by __**Katy Perry**__ (weird song combo, i know.. just go with it.)**_

* * *

**_Chapter 13: Zombie - I'll Risk It All (4You)_**

She was at it again.

The day was relatively quiet, no disturbances whatsoever around their little campsite; the imp had taken to patrolling the perimeter of the small meadow they'd decided to break at, eager to follow his powerful lord's orders. The girl was off picking flowers as she was wont to do from time to time whenever they'd stop, straying far from the place the two _yokai_ were but not so far away that he wouldn't sense something was amiss with her childish objectives.

He sat against a shady tree, watching his female counterpart twist this way and that in a fluid movement, her foot or arm lifting into the air once or twice in her movements, spouts of blue fire breaching the clear sky's color scheme.

She'd been more vigorous towards her training ever since the day they'd rescued Rin from Naraku's castle, only stopping when they would pick up and travel or for sleep. Her almost losing him to that slimy half-breed had spooked her, he would imagine, therein explaining her vigorous training sessions.

No matter how many times he watched, or how rigorous her self-training sessions became, he still thought of it as a dance.

Of course she wasn't built for dancing, with her petite size of barely an inch over five feet and the curves in her body that proved she was a female… but it seemed like battle was a dance for her.

She really was a strange one.

Seeing as she was the princess as well as sole heir to her dead clan, he would've assumed she would be more prim and proper; not tomboyish, and definitely not with the slang only a boy would use. But that first moment they met, when their stares locked in a squabble for silent dominance, she had caught him off guard completely. She was the strangest female he'd ever met; it was as if she hadn't been raised in a noble household at all, but instead raised by men! Of course to make up for her lack in proper manners she had more strength than any female he'd ever known, especially for a wolf princess. Her right hooks packed a whollop, her swordsmanship skills were sharp if not expert (for a female), and her attacks were effective if not dangerous.

Getsu _was_ fit to be a wolf demon, princess or not.

A weary groan escaped her lungs, jarring him from his musings; she folded her arms behind her head, flopping onto the soft grass near his side with a gentle '_thud_'.

He smirked gently at her, seeing beads of sweat trickle down her pretty face from her forehead, silver eyes half-way open and trained on the blue sky overhead.

"You look tired."

"And you look bored."

Her silver eyes didn't leave the sky.  
Shame he only had one arm, otherwise she would've asked him to spar; she could only imagine that he was as skilled at sparring as he was at fighting in actual combat.

Her muscles ached dully from the practice she'd put in for the past few weeks, seeming to ache more today seeing as it was the last day of the fourth week.

A month of practicing and she was barely feeling the effects of her power surging with a new tinge to it that was the only indication that she was getting stronger with this practice she'd put herself through.

She gingerly sat up a little, lifting a clawed hand to rub her neck gingerly. "Ow," she mumbled under her breath, sitting straighter before she lifted her arms to the sky, stretching the muscles in her thin limbs, a noise somewhere between a light whine and a moan uttered between her teeth.

He watched her stretch with a small amount of amusement behind his otherwise-bored gold stare, seeing her shake her head like a dog ridding itself of water, before her silver eyes shifted to meet his gaze when she felt his eyes on her.

A curious yet playful pout formed on her pretty face, making her look younger than her seeming age of nineteen in human years, her thin brow furrowing in concentration. "What; do I have something on my face?" She asked warily, reflexively lifting a clawed hand to her face.

He shot her a coy look. "Nothing in the slightest," he replied.

She rolled her eyes and huffed softly, nimbly moving to her feet and shuffling to plop down against the same tree he rested on, silver eyes looking at the fabric of her navy _hakama_. "Yeah, sure, and I'm actually a priestess." She rebutted patiently.

"So that would explain the healing abilities," he said thoughtfully, tapping his chin with a clawed finger, cocking his head to one side.

Getsu couldn't keep the giggle from escaping her lips, smirking at him. "Quit patronizing me, I'm still sore from that incident with Naraku." She chided, poking his ribs with a finger.

Sesshomaru returned the smirk, his gold eyes glancing to see her greave-less shins, halting his gaze there; he'd never seen her legs without the black iron covering them.

She blinked when he traced his fingers down her shin, a shiver rolling down her arms at his touch.

"I've never seen you without your greaves." He noted more to himself, sitting back in his original position.

Blush slightly warmed her cheeks; she spluttered a huff out of reflex, drawing her knees to her chest and holding them there. "Damn flatterer," she grumbled shyly.

A soft chuckle came from him before she rested her head on his shoulder, a soft sigh escaping her at the calmness of the afternoon.  
She shifted a little a few long moments later, rousing him from going into an uncharacteristic doze.

"Sesshomaru?"

"Hn?"

"If I was able to, would you let me heal your arm?" Her voice was soft, hesitant, two traits that irked him and made his ears twitch.

He looked at her, gold eyes focusing on her downcast face, a soft breeze blowing past them making the leaves in the tree overhead rustle. "Would you be able to do it?" _Without it becoming taxing on your life?_ He inwardly added, gold eyes searching for some sort of answer from her.

To have his arm back… he'd long forgotten what it felt like to have two arms, ever since he met Getsu; being trained to use his right hand when wielding a sword, he was so accustomed to using it even if he had two arms instead of just the one. Having his left arm back would be alien to him at this point in time.

"I could try. I want to try, to be honest." She answered, pricking his ears.

"Why?"

"Because I've seen how much of a handicap it is to you. I… I've been meaning to ask you about it for a while now."

"Why didn't you?"

"I didn't feel like you trusted me enough to let me try and regenerate your arm."

"Hm."

Getsu looked at him from behind the small curtain her black hair had formed, brushing locks from her sight to see his gaze was cast downward at his _hakama_. "Well?"

It wasn't good when he was being overly-pensive.

"I trust you enough, now. But I still want to know why you've wanted to heal my left arm for this long." Sesshomaru replied quietly, meeting her gaze at last, gold clashing with silver.

Her cheeks warmed, a blush stealing across her pretty face making her cheeks look slightly red; she looked down, hugging her knees. "I… I felt that your pride was damaged, when InuYasha cut your arm. You took a loss of limb, unwillingly it seems. I wasn't there to witness what exactly happened, but when you scolded me for trying to heal your arm that morning, I wasn't doing it for self-benefit; I wanted, and I still want to heal your pride." She explained softly.

His gold eyes were wide at hearing her true reason; he looked down as well, quieting. _So _**that**_ explains it_, he thought. He'd always had an underlying feeling about that day; she really was just trying to help. _Idiot_, he thought, mentally scolding himself for being such a jerk to her.

"Would you want to try now?" He asked quietly after a long agonizingly silent moment, perking her ears.

Her eyes widened a little; "Sesshomaru," she breathed in surprise.

"Do you?" He pressed, gold eyes locking on her awed silver.

She nodded, a slow smile spreading across her face. "Yeah."

He smiled a little at seeing her relief and excitement dance across her pretty face, letting her remove his armor from his torso, shrugging out of the _kosode_, the sudden climate change on his once-covered torso making goosebumps erupt down his arm and exposed torso.

Getsu's palms glowed that same soft purple color he'd first seen the day after they'd met, the color taking on a darker shade of purple as she placed them over the upper half of his left arm, the stump that had left him handicapped for well over five months now.

Sesshomaru bit back a soft growl at feeling the surge of heat dash across his shoulders and down his body, a cool rush following shortly after the heat, extinguishing the heat in less than seconds; the growl escaped him as it felt like his bones were creaking, as if he were transforming into his true form, though the stump of his left arm was having the bones regrow.

She was actually doing it: she was restoring his arm!

She chewed her lower lip, concentrating her power on his arm, a soft gasp escaping her as she watched the flesh of his left arm mold together around the pure white bones of his lower arm and hand that had grown in place, down to his fingertips; the flesh finished forming before the same pale skin of his body slowly covered the red flesh of his muscles and nerves, down to the claws that grew on his fingers, the same violet twin streaks on his right hand being designed onto his left hand's forearm.

She did it!

Getsu eased her power, gingerly pulling her palms away from his shoulder; her head was spinning as she felt like the task had taken much out of her energy.

Sesshomaru stared at his fully-regenerated left arm in awe, the surprise written clearly across his usually-deadpan face; he flexed his fingers, stretching his arm out before him, sunlight glinting off the claws of his restored hand, the violet streaks on his forearm matching the ones on his right forearm.

_She had restored his arm!_

She shuddered and settled against the tree, panting softly.

He looked at her, concern shining in his gold eyes; he brought his left hand to her cheek, stroking the skin gently, watching her catch his hand and hold it there with her own left hand.

Getsu smiled up at him, albeit weary and out of breath as if she'd just run the length of Japan. "We did it." She mused softly.

Sesshomaru nodded, smiling back, leaning closer to press his forehead to hers as he let her embrace him and hug his strong shoulders. "You did beautifully." He replied in the same tone.

She smiled again, nuzzling into his neck and closing her eyes as the weariness and loss of energy from performing such a task lulled her into a well-deserved sleep.

He looked down at her in slight surprise, his face softening as he ran his claws through her hair, feeling her squeeze him in her sleep. _You deserve it_, he thought, resting against the tree and holding her as she slept.

* * *

"She did _**what**__!?_"

"Jaken, keep quiet."

"O-oh! Yes, milord…!"

"Did Getsu-onee do that to you, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Yes, she did, and that's why she's sleeping."

"She looks so peaceful; it looks like it must have taken a lot out of her to be so nice to you!"

"Hn."

"M-Milord, I would imagine you feel more powerful now that you have both arms to use instead of just your right."

"… It is strange, but in time I will get used to having both arms."

Her ears twitched in her sleep; she opened one eye to see a fire burning vainly before her.  
"N-no!" She scrambled to her feet, grappling for her katana as memories of that ill-fated night flooded back to her.

"Getsu." His clawed hands found her shoulders, making her twist about to stare wildly into a pair of gold eyes.

Her jumbled nerves slowly calmed as she kept her stare on his, shoulders that were once trembling now slumping. "S-Sesshomaru," she whispered.

Concern flitted in his gaze that he kept on her. "Are you alright?" He asked, the concern leaking into his voice.

She nodded, bowing her gaze in shame. "H-hm. Sorry if I scared you." She replied. He shook his head with a wry chuckle. "You've done worse to scare me," he mused.

Getsu blushed, feeling his hands squeeze her shoulders gently. "Shut up," she grumbled, watching his hands leave her shoulders, inwardly noting that he'd pulled his _kosode_ back on to cover his chest, the armor back in place.

Sesshomaru smirked at her normal response, his left hand's claws stroking her hair. "Are you feeling better, from earlier?" He asked.

She nodded again. "A lot, actually; the nap helped." She replied.

He nodded back. "I'm glad." He mused, pricking her ears; she blushed slightly, smiling at him.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The girl awoke to hear slight grunts of exertion humming in the morning air.

She scrambled out of the makeshift sleeping bag to rush to where the noise was coming from, skidding to a halt short of the small dip in the meadow.

Fists clashed and glanced off each other. Feet were thrown into the air, occasionally making contact.

Rin's big brown eyes were wide in surprise, confusion and mostly awe at the sight of both her traveling companions locked in a seemingly-deadly dance of fists and kicks.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee!" She called hesitantly, making the movement stop abruptly at the sound of her uncharacteristically-nervous voice.

The dog _yokai_ looked at the girl to see there was something like confusion and nervousness in her young face; his shoulders sagged to see that there was no danger in sight or no threat to the human. "What is it, Rin?" He asked patiently.

The wolf _yokai_ straightened her stance and waved lightly at the child. "Mornin', Rin!" She greeted warmly with a maternal smile.

The girl hopped down the small distance the dip left, trotting to the more jovial of the two demon's side. "I heard noises, and you and Getsu-onee weren't around when I woke up." She explained shyly as the female stretched her arms to the sky with a yawn that showed her fangs.

"Believe it or not, he wanted to spar." Getsu explained, crouching at her side and ruffling her hair, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the slightly fatigued dog lord.

"Um, is that what you're calling what you were doing, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked innocently, looking at the male.

He nodded after throwing a patient and scolding look at his mate who simply shrugged and smiled lightly.

To be honest, she wasn't lying; he had woken her a few hours before dawn to request that they spar, mostly because he wanted to test out his newly-restored left arm and she was the only one available that would be an interesting sparring partner. The fact that she was female didn't seem to deter her usage of her powers in the past so he felt that wasn't an obstacle in their sparring.  
Her hand-to-hand combat skills were superb; whoever had trained her when she lived in the West, he had to give them credit and if they ever met he would have to pay them a compliment in training the princess of the western wolf tribe to be a petite force of fists and kicks that would cripple if the situation turned deadly.

She smacked his chest playfully, stirring him from his thoughts; he looked at her to see she had the girl riding on her shoulders with her small arms holding onto her neck, a gentle light in her silver eyes when his gold stare met hers.  
"C'mon, lady killer." She urged gently, a smirk on her lips that flashed a bit of fang, before she loped back to their campsite with the girl in tow, a surprised giggle escaping the human child at having her steed move so quickly.

He watched them leave and smirked to himself, shaking his head. "Spitfire," he muttered, following their leave at a calmer pace.

It had been a long time since he'd sparred for fun; it was no wonder that she was good at landing kicks and fists with such accuracy. Despite her petite size and rather brash attitude, Getsu of the Western Wolf Tribe was worthy of being a wolf demon princess.

Of course she was going to have to repay him for that smack to his chest, sometime in the future.

* * *

A/N: _this was mostly a filler chap because i was too lazy to check the IY-Wiki page for another ep to cover. there wasn't much action in this chap as there has been with previous chaps so i apologize to any of you who were looking forward to reading of another fight scene. /bows_  
_also, Sesshomaru has his arm back! lol i was mentally debating whether Getsu should do it now or later on in the future, but considering he trusted her enough to restore his arm, i thought 'oh what the hell?' and put it in. i've read a few spoilers as to how he got his arm back and i felt that it'd be easier for Getsu to restore his arm instead of him having to go through all that turmoil. see, i can be nice! lol when i wanna be~ /gets bricked_  
_  
anyway, enough rambling. __**review please**__! thanks~ ;D_


	14. Shinjutsu no Uta

A/N: l_ast time Getsu had restored Sesshomaru's left arm to completion! lol um.. sorry for not updating sooner, i've been immersed in reading Kuroshitsuji fanfics.. getting back on the bandwagon lol anyway, enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

**_title ref - "**Shinjutsu no Uta**" by **Do As Infinity**_**

* * *

**_Chapter 14: Shinjutsu no Uta_**

A frown crossed his brow.

Of all places in the world, why did they have to cross through this place?

The various mixed scents of a moderately-sized village filled his nose, filling his companion's ever-keen nose as well, the irrigation fields on the opposite end of the outskirts of the village shining sunlight on the surface of the water.

She wasn't exactly keen to be passing through a human village, either, something that he was silently grateful for; but as she put, '_we would've run into humans at one point on this journey anyway, so we might as well endure it_'.

That was easy for her to say; she was used to nuisances... Nuisances didn't last very long with his patience.

A dragged out exhale came from his mouth before he took a step forward onto the dirt path, his companion following wordlessly until she was at his right.

"Remind me as to why we're doing this?" He asked her as they neared the outskirts.

She quirked a brow at the underlying resentment towards this idea, a soft wry smirk flickering on her face.  
"I understand your feelings, but if we're going to keep going in this direction, we need to pass through." _Thank God we didn't bring Ah-Un, Rin and Jaken_, she thought with a smile to herself.

He eyed her for a moment before scoffing. "Let's just get through this as painlessly as possible. Without any public disturbances," he added pointedly, gold eyes knowing when they met her innocent silver orbs.

A light blush stole across her cheeks; she looked away, huffing and crossing her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "You take the fun out of things," she grated, sticking her tongue out.

A chuckle rumbled in his chest; he tucked a few locks behind her left ear. "Not everything, according to your comments referring to the past couple of nights," he rebutted coolly.

The blush deepened to a shade of pinkish red, a growl of frustration caught between her fangs. "You so started those," she defended cattily.

The chuckle escaped his lips, low and dark. "If I recall, you were begging for it last night," he quipped.

She grimaced, her left fang visible in the expression, before she cut her gaze to the side. "Piss off."

He smirked pleasedly, finding that, subconsciously, he liked to watch her become flustered, letting the wolf beast inside her bristle and growl a challenge at him (to which he accepted and won through the only way he knew to sate both of their restrained beasts). "You really are very attractive when you're like this." He almost crooned.  
**_  
THWACK_**.

"Don't get perverted on me now, idiot. Especially not in **broad** **daylight**, for the moon's sake." She warned patiently, cracking her knuckles, eyes closed to the swollen bump on her companion's head.

The great dog demon made a face similar to a pout, seeing one silver eye open before she snickered behind her hand that covered her upturned lips.

"You do realize you're going to pay for that later?" He sighed.

"Yep, can't wait." She said jovially; _maybe this time I'll get your tail between my teeth_, she thought with a grin, the thought of dominating him with his tail between her teeth making her beast's tail wag.

He had to admit one thing: even though her scolding-beatings hurt like some sort of fresh hell, she always knew how to whimper just for him.

:::::::::oOo:::::::::

"I-is that a demon?"

"Gods, it's two of them!"

"B-but wait, why aren't they attacking? Haven't they come for blood?"

"I dunno, but the silver-haired one sure is gorgeous!"

"I know! Wah, he's so regal!"

A vein was pulsing on her temple, ears twitching at the mention of her mate.  
It's not like she was jealous: hell, why was she jealous of some humans? Just because they saw the beauty in his features… okay, she was jealous. She hated to feel like that; he was hers - only hers, damnit! – and she'd be fucking damned if some human whore took his attention away from her!

He saw a thin stream of smoke rising in the air from the top of her head, a sweatdrop formed on his brow; _what is she so worked up for?_ He wondered.

Her clawed hand slipped from the confines of her kimono sleeve and reached to take his larger hand, squeezing, her claws gently digging into his skin.

"Getsu," he began.

"Let's keep moving." She growled, dragging him by the hand as her bare feet picked up the pace a fraction faster, the smoke slowly dissipating from above her head. She was starting to hate humans; sure, Rin was an exception because she was still a little girl, but other humans like those girls… she shuddered and felt her claws sharpen.

He glanced at some of the stony looks the village girls sent his companion and exhaled; _might as well go down with the ship_, he thought, gently dragging her closer, his arm sliding to fold over her shoulders, surprising her a little.

She blushed humbly, smiling in gratitude, before she reached to squeeze his hand that held onto her right shoulder.

:::::::oOo::::::::

Once they were out of the village, both demons released a sigh.

His ear twitched as he noted that she was quiet as they continued to the point where they were to rendezvous with the rest of their party, stealing a gold-eyed glance at her quiet form.

"None of those humans caught my eye."

"I know; I guess I just feel disgusted with myself."

"How so?"

"As a demon, I have no right to feel envious of a simple mortal; as the princess of the western wolf tribe, I should've crushed the little whores' skulls for even daring to look at the one I claim as my mate and demanded their parents' apologies… But, as an adult wolf demon, I shouldn't be feeling those childish things."

His ears pricked at her extensive explanation; perhaps he had underestimated her all along. Maybe she was aristocratic after all…?  
"There's something new." He commented, pricking her ears.

Her silver eyes glanced at him. "Yeah?"

"I'd never have expected to hear you talk like the princess of the western wolf tribe should talk. I'm impressed, again." He mused, eyes closed.

Warmth stole across her cheeks at his words; she smiled softly and lowered her gaze. "I think I've been traveling with you for too long, if I'm starting to sound like you." She humphed.

He smirked at her, inwardly noting that they had entered a densely-wooded path through the forest. "Not that I wish to complain, but I will admit that I think I've been traveling with you for too long as well, considering I've picked up some of your habits." He mused.

She quirked a brow, feeling an underlying sense that something was about to happen between them. "How so?" She wondered.

His gold eyes seemed to take on that look he only ever obtained when they would take part in the less dignified things neither mentioned in public.  
_  
Uh-oh_, she thought.

Moving faster than her (as he was wont to do), he had caged her against a tree with his arms extending to hold the thin tree she had been backed into, his lips taking hers in a kiss that reminded her that he was her mate, that he was clearly the stronger between the two of them, and that he was a damn good kisser.

Getsu squeaked in surprise, calming and succumbing to her position as she wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him greedily, digging her claws into his skin.

Sesshomaru caved a little into her lithe body, a soft growl rumbling in his throat that sent new shivers down her spine, feeling her body meet his eagerly.

She thought of those village girls that had swooned over the sight of him and a growl of her own escaped her throat, instincts taking over for her conscious as she grinded her hips against his.

He smiled pleasedly at being able to make her beg, worrying at her lower lip tenderly, his claws digging into the tree bark.

A strange aura made her nerves jump on edge; she felt him stiffen against her, reluctantly pulling his mouth from hers, leaving her lips tingling from his biting, gold eyes opening and looking over his shoulder.

Seven large blurs in the trees flew at the two canine _yokai_.

With a flick of the wrist, she sent blue flames sailing at one of the blurs; the sound of loud cries of pain confirmed she'd made a direct hit. "You lot sure fail as _shinobi_ if you're tryin' to sneak up on us." She called calmly, the quiet 'shink' humming in the air as she unsheathed her katana.

The rumble of some of the trees being knocked down around them sounded as he also drew his Tokijin, seeing at least six ogre demons surrounding them. _This is just great_, he thought, cursing the pack of _oni_ for interrupting in something that he was enjoying.

Three of the _oni_ flew at them as the first frontliners; blue fire was cast as a barrage as she swung her left foot and arm forward, distracting the three _oni. _Blood flew in the air as she spirited past the barrage to her targets, katana severing the head of one of the oni, her claws stained with dark blood that almost looked black as she'd ripped the heart out of the second _oni_, turning to the third one with cold eyes, the one that had miraculously dodged her swiping claws.

"I'd suggest you move," he said at her back, pulling on the scruff of her kimono before he sent a sharp blow of blue energy from Tokijin at the remaining _oni_, destroying the one she'd missed as well as the remaining one he had miscalculated against, their bodies disintegrating when the aura and energy of the sword's blow made a direct hit.

The wind whipped at her hair from the attack's aftermath, his arm around her back that had shielded her from his attack squeezing as his stiffened body relaxed and he looked at her as he had her head bowed against his chest guard. "Are you alright?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, smiling up at him. "Thanks," she replied.

He nodded back, letting her slip out of his grip and sheath her katana as he returned Tokijin to his side; she looked at the wreckage of the patch of forest around them and shook her head as if in disgust.  
"What made them attack us? I hadn't smelled any _oni_ in the area, not even when we were moving through the village." She asked softly.

"I'm not sure, but it doesn't sound like Jaken ran into them, considering there's no more blood in the air." He replied, scanning the forest around them that wasn't touched by their offense against the _oni_.

She nodded a little, brushing locks of hair from her face absently. "Come on, let's go," she urged, kissing him lightly before she loped ahead of him to their rendezvous point; he smiled and shook his head a little, following shortly at her heels.

* * *

She couldn't help but chuckle a little at hearing the girl's stomach growl.

He glanced back at the child, hearing her stomach complain again, albeit softer this time around. "I'm surprised your stomach hasn't growled yet," he mused, pricking her ears.

A slight blush stained her cheeks; she huffed, punching his left shoulder reprovingly. "Just because you're the alpha around here don't mean you're not invincible too, y'know." She quipped.

He smirked, pleased at making her blush, rubbing his shoulder gingerly. "The same goes for you, princess." He said in that aloof tone that often used to get on her nerves in the past.

A fearful scream came from where the girl had ran off.

"Shit," she swore, perking up as he flew off ahead of her; she sprinted after his heels, the imp trailing behind both _yokai_.

He sliced at the giant arm that grabbed the girl, watching a shot of blue fire incinerate the arm as she caught the girl from falling with her free arm in time.  
"Are you alright?" He asked the females.

She nodded, looking at the girl and smiling in relief. "We're fine," she replied.

The rest of the arm shifted into the form of Naraku's hornets, slightly surprising both _yokai_.

_Hornets?_ She wondered, watching as he sliced at the arm the hornets reformed into after ordering the toad to find the nest. "What the hell're they doing here?" She wondered, setting the girl down and glaring at the hornets.

"How would I know? They're still weak to your fire, which doesn't surprise me." He returned, the arm reforming again.

"**_Nagareboshi_**_-__**kaen**__!_" A wide jet of blue fire screamed past him at the morphed hornets, sending the hornets to the ground in ashes. She huffed and cracked her knuckles, wisps of smoke rising from the remains of the dead insects. "I hate bugs," she muttered.

Buzzing sounded overhead, pricking her ears, as another wave of hornets hung high in the air near the canopies.  
"Well _that's_ just great," she mused with heavy sarcasm.

"Getsu-onee, look, there's the hive!" Rin barked, pointing up at a cluster of at least ten small nests plastered to the tree near them.

The fresh hornets buzzed as they flew down at the smaller two of their company; "Rin, get down!" Jaken ordered, the girl ducking into the ground with her hands on her head as he brandished the staff of two heads, seeming to have burned the first barrage of hornets before the rest of them flew at the group.  
_  
Lovely_, she thought, cracking her knuckles again. "Jaken, move!" She barked, extending both arms palm-open at the hornets, blue fire screaming at the hornets; her eyes widened slightly as they seemed to dodge it.  
_  
How did they dodge my wolf fire?_ She wondered in surprise as the hornets flew at both imp and girl. "Damn it..!"

"Getsu, get back," he ordered behind her, pricking her ears; she nodded, standing aside as he swung Tokijin, the blast from the sword destroying both the hornets and the nest, a loud creaking sounding as the tree was cut down.

"That was awesome, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin beamed as both she and the imp straightened.

"Y-you saved me, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken blubbered happily.

Getsu sweatdropped, shaking her hands absently. _Honestly_, she thought.

"You should thank Getsu first; she was the one who tried to burn the hornets." Sesshomaru replied off-handedly, perking her ears; she looked at him in surprise.

"Sesshomaru," she began, blushing humbly.

An outcry came from the toad, making both _yokai_ look in his direction as at least three hornets stung his arm before flying off.  
Blue fire flew at the hornets, burning two of them as the third disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

"Damn, I missed." She growled, cracking her knuckles.

"That one should lead me to Naraku; Getsu, let's go." He mused, taking her hand and spiriting away after the hornet.

"H-Hey, but what about Rin!? Sesshomaru!" She yelped a complaint, squeaking when he gripped her hand tighter and continued his pursuit. _Sheesh, I've never seen him like this!_ She thought, keeping up until they took off into the air, clinging to his chest.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The familiar scent of half-demon caught her nose as they finally landed; she shook her head absently, perking up as they had ran into InuYasha and his rag-tag team of humans. "InuYasha?" She wondered in surprise.

"Sesshomaru, Getsu!" InuYasha greeted, sharing in the wolf yokai's surprise, his larger gold eyes narrowing at the sight of his older brother present.

"What happened to the Saimyosho; did you kill them?" Sesshomaru returned, scowling slightly at his younger brother.

"'Saimyosho'?" The lesser of the two dog brothers repeated in confusion.

"The hornets that belong to Naraku; we had a run-in with them and they fled in this direction." The wolf demon explained grimly, crossing her arms at her chest at the reminder.

"You're so short-sighted; we were following them to Naraku, but now we have nothing to lead us." Sesshomaru reproved annoyedly, pricking her ears.

"Let me make one thing clear: I didn't kill those bugs!" InuYasha rebutted sharply.

He reached for the Tokijin. "You have an excuse for everything; it's so tiresome." He growled, drawing the sword.

"Sesshomaru, don't start…" She began to stay his hand before he extended his left arm to block her, forcing her back.

InuYasha huffed. "I don't have to make excuses for you; I'm tellin' the truth!" He spat. "InuYasha isn't lying, he didn't kill them!" Kagome chimed defensively.  
"Stay outta this, Kagome; he's so damn stubborn, he never understands!" He growled, drawing the Tetsusaiga and baring it defensively.  
_  
Not again_, she thought.

"InuYasha, I'm not feeling very chivalrous today, so I won't go easy on you as I have in the past." Sesshomaru warned lowly.

"Cut the crap, and don't come crying to me afterward!" InuYasha snorted, lunging at him.

"Stay back, Getsu." He flew at him, their blades locking and clashing as they began yet another squabble.

She groaned and slapped her forehead, exhaling as she went to the safer side of the battle and stood near the humans plus fox kitsune and cat demon.  
"I'm sorry for this. It wasn't our intention to cross paths with you lot anytime soon." She declared, bowing a little in apology before straightening to her feet.

The priestess-reincarnate waved it off, smiling sheepishly. "It's okay, we're sorry too; it's just those two are so…" She paused for the right word.

"Bull-headed; utterly impossible?" She deadpanned.

"Yeah, actually, all of the above!" The demon slayer offered with a wry chuckle.

Getsu smiled and sighed, sending a scowl at the clashing brothers. "I'm used to it," she relented.

Shippo hopped onto her shoulder, slightly perking her ears.  
"Getsu-onee, am I seeing things or is Sesshomaru using two hands instead of just his right arm?" He asked curiously, earning a quick look from his three human compatriots before they also looked at the sparring brothers, particularly at the older of the two.

Kagome gasped. "How did that happen? His arm…"

"I restored it." Getsu interjected calmly, earning three sets of brown eyes to round on her; she rubbed her neck absently with her right hand.  
"It wasn't a lot, but somehow I managed to do it." She laughed weakly.

"Wait, how did you restore his arm? Kagome told us that it was cut off, when InuYasha took the Tetsusaiga." Sango asked in surprise, knowing that it was rare for demons –especially full-blooded demons—to be able to heal another's injuries, let alone restore a lost limb!

She blushed a little in meekness and smiled. "It's a gift I inherited from my mother. She wasn't a priestess or anythin' like that, but it's an ability passed down from her clan's bloodline. If I concentrate enough of my power into restoring a limb, it usually works to full strength and the limb is once again usable." She explained.

"Wah, that's awesome, Getsu-onee!" The kitsune chirped, hugging the older demon's neck.

Getsu laughed and smiled at him, ruffling his red hair. "Yeah, it is!" She replied.

The ground trembled a little, making the group look to see dust flying as Sesshomaru had InuYasha on the ground, the point of Tokijin at his adam's apple.

"Sesshomaru, don't do it!" Getsu barked, sprinting to stop them before he delivered the final blow.

"I win this time: are you prepared to die, InuYasha?" Sesshomaru huffed, glancing up at the sight of his mate running to stop them; his power surged around them, making her yelp as he knocked her back.

"Getsu!" Kagome hurried to the demon's side as she shuffled and sat up a little, scowling at her mate.

"The hell was that for!?" She demanded; _he's so gonna get it when we go back!_ She thought angrily.

"I told you to stay back, remember?" He growled, perking her ears; she growled, fangs showing in her grimace.

"I don't care about my life! Kill me and get it overwith!" The half-breed barked.

"Wait!" Kagome declared as the wolf princess scrambled to her feet, sprinting past her to stop them. "Do you wanna know where to find Naraku? Head to the Ox Tiger; someone sensed Naraku's presence heading that way!" She declared.

Getsu blinked. "'Ox Tiger'?"

"Kagome, shut up!" InuYasha barked.

"In the direction of the Ox Tiger? Thank you, that's all I needed to go." Sesshomaru drew his arm back, sheathing the Tokijin. "You're lucky you escaped death today, InuYasha; Getsu, come." He beckoned.

She shot him a sore look, looking at the girl and smiling lightly. "Thanks, see you guys later!" She said, trotting after him until she was at his side.

"Wait! Sesshomaru, why're you after Naraku?"

"I have a score to settle… We have a score to settle."

She frowned slightly, glancing back at the humans and smiling for them before looking away.

He shot her a look. "I still don't see why you made friends with those humans." He mused.  
**_  
THWACK_**.

"Ow…" He rubbed his head gingerly, a bump swelling on the crown of his head.

"That's for throwing me back using your power, you jerk!" She barked annoyedly, crossing her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

Sesshomaru scowled sorely, exhaling. "The idea of seeing you get killed would be something I don't want to ever think about." He defended.

Getsu blinked, looking up at him. "Sesshomaru," she began softly in awe, feeling her cheeks warm to a shade of reddish pink at his words. _Does he… does he really love me?_ She thought.

He smiled softly at her awe, taking her hand and squeezing gently. "Let's go," he declared, seeing her smile back before they spirited away back to their companions.

:::::::oOo::::::::

"So it's northeast?" She wondered.

He nodded. "Hn."

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The girl and imp declared in chorus behind them; she looked at them and smiled a little, crouching to let the girl crawl onto her and ride her shoulders.

"We're going," he announced calmly, starting to walk off.

"Yeah, let's go!" The girl exclaimed, pointing straight infront of them before she giggled.  
She laughed gently, smiling up at her.

He stole a look at hearing her laugh, seeing her silver eyes were happy and gentle; he smiled to himself, looking forward.

The sight of her tears was something that made that old feeling inside him stir; he didn't want to see her cry, especially over him.

He really must have loved her to never wish to see her shed tears for him.

* * *

A/N: _well that was a cute filler, again. though those two dog idiots never give up when it comes to sibling rivalry..! /gets bricked also yes i tried to make Sesshomaru out to be less... stoic.. when it comes to mention the unmentionable acts /dodges a swipe from Tokijin  
_  
_anywho, the action will pick up soon, so until then, **review please**; thanks!_


	15. TGIF

A/N: _this filler is in no means __**NOT MY DOING. I SWEAR!**__ *cough* anyway, where was i..? ah yes! anyway.. /bows lowly__** i humbly apologize for lack of action scenes**__! it's all on me poor brain, i haven't been able to think of perfectly-legit action scenes to insert into this fic! *twiddles my fingers* umm thats all i have to say.. other than that! enjoy the chap~_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F. (ft. Missy Elliot))**__" by __**Katy Perry**__ (don't ask on the chap title.. i cant think straight so i just used a song title from one of the songs i recently bought on iTunes.. just go along with it! Dx)**_

* * *

**_Chapter 15: T.G.I.F._**

A familiar scent stung her nose.

Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet from sitting next to a tree, ears on alert.

He blinked in slight confusion at her alert body. "What is it?" He asked.

"Now?" She wondered, sniffing the air and smirking; she looked at him and winked. "I'll be back." She said, turning to lope off towards the direction the scent was coming from. She knew that scent too well!

He watched her sprint away as fast as she could, still slightly puzzled. "What's gotten into her?" He wondered to himself.

::::::oOo::::::

A mimicking howl ripped from her lungs as she neared the source.

One of the two wolf _yokai_ blinked. "Hey, wait…!" He began as his second half sniffed the air.

"**No way**!" They said in chorus.

"Oi!" A sharp kick was sent to the head of the one named Ginta, making him yelp and tumble, a small cloud of dust flying in their wake.  
His assailant huffed and placed a hand on her hip, looking down at her target. "Been a while." She greeted.

"**GETSU**!" Both wolf _yokai_ exclaimed as they embraced the wolf princess, sandwiching her between their bodies, making her laugh and squirm.

"H-hey, heel, boys! Geez, I missed you too!" Getsu laughed, squirming and wriggling until she slipped free, blinking to see both wolf demons had waterfalls running down their cheeks.

"W-we thought we'd never see ya again, Getsu-chan!" Hakkaku wailed, clinging to her right leg.

"Y-yeah; Koga told us you'd left the pack!" Ginta chimed emotionally as he held onto her left leg.

She sweatdropped, smiling patiently at the two wolves. "Honestly, you two… It's not like I was dead! I've been fine the whole damn time, so stop crying for the moon's sake! Geez, you're both grown wolf demons!" She chided lightly, making both wolves pull away reluctantly and shuffle to their feet.

"Getsu-onee!" The voice of the girl, a reminder that she wasn't traveling alone, barked before the girl looked at her worriedly.

"_'Getsu-onee_'?" Ginta and Hakkaku repeated in chorus as the wolves growled at the girl again.

She hopped over them, letting the girl cling to her hakama like a toddler clinging to its mother. "Sorry about that, are you okay, Rin?" She asked gently, smiling down at her.

She nodded, throwing a nervous look at the wolf pack; she followed her gaze and bared her fangs threateningly, bristling, once again calming them as she had that day when she and Koga had it out.

"Is this little girl your sister, Getsu-chan?" Hakkaku asked the wolf princess, perking her ears.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sort of. This girl and the toad imp behind me are my traveling partners; my new pack." She explained.

"**HUH**!?" The wolf brothers balked, earning a sweatdrop from the female wolf.

"So you dumped us for a human and her pet!?" Ginta exclaimed.

She waved it off, her foot stomping on the imp's head when he started rambling and swearing vehemently at the indication that he was Rin's pet. "Not in so many words. Koga and I had it out, a while back, so I left." She replied, her smile faltering at the memory of fighting with her fellow clan leader.

"Jaken, what's all this commotion?" His voice demanded, pricking her ears; he stepped forward from the brush, having followed her trail.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said in relief, hiding behind him and Getsu.

"Sesshomaru," Getsu began as he extended his left arm infront of her protectively.

Both wolf brothers saw the way he protected her; was _this_ the dog demon Koga had mentioned?

The wolf pack growled defensively at the great demon lord, hackles bristling, slowly backing away as they could smell the defensiveness and danger radiating from the dog _yokai_.

"Who're you and what do you want!?" Ginta snapped at him, both he and Hakkaku bristling with the wolves.

"You lookin' for a fight!?" Hakkaku chimed brazenly, fists raised.

"Guys, don't even think about it." Getsu warned concernedly, scowling at them as the wolves reluctantly whimpered in fear.

"W-we're retreating, but not outta fear!" Ginta stammered nervously.

"Yeah, ya don't scare us, mister!" Hakkaku chimed before both wolf demons took off with the wolf pack in tow.

"**See ya later, Getsu**!" They added in unison.  
She sweatdropped; _yep, they never change_, she thought. _Bleeding cowards_. She sighed.

"I take it they were part of your old pack." He guessed, perking her ears.

Getsu nodded, smiling sheepishly. "Yeah, they talk big but they're still puppies." She replied.

Sesshomaru huffed. "It's no wonder you were so excited to see them; they seem kinder than that Koga you told me about." He mused. "Rin, you can let go of my leg now; they're gone." He added, feeling her small hands fist into the back of his white _hakama_.

Rin nodded, stepping out from behind both _yokai_ to see the pack was indeed gone, a relieved sigh escaping her. "Thank you for protecting me, Lord Sesshomaru," she added humbly, smiling up at him.

"Hn." He nodded slightly, looking at her. "Getsu, come on," he declared, leading her away to their makeshift campsite.

She nodded, smiling lightly at the girl. "Just call if ya run into those wolves again, 'kay? And have fun with fishing." She added, ruffling her hair before she trotted after him.

::::::::oOo:::::::

Both _yokai_ paused short of the sight.

She sweatdropped; both packmates of Koga, Ginta and Hakkaku, were acting as a road blockade, seeming to prevent their group from walking any further down the dusk-covered path.

"The road's closed; you can't go any further!" Both wolf brothers stated in unison.

"What in hell are you two doing here?" The wolf princess demanded patiently, arms folded across her chest.

"And what do we do now that we can't take this route?" The toad imp chimed, looking back at his powerful lord.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee?" The human girl sitting atop the dragon steed looked at both _yokai_ confusedly.

"We're the personal assistants of Koga, the great young leader of the wolf demon tribe! I'm…" Ginta proclaimed.

"Ginta and Hakkaku. Both of you, we need to pass by you two to keep going further, so would you mind; please?" Getsu interjected, ignoring the balking stares of both wolf brothers, quirking one brow in questioning, awaiting their response. _What is _**with**_ these two? Normally they wouldn't be so bold as to block the path of a demon as strong as Sesshomaru, so just what the hell has possessed them to start actin' more stupid than usual **now**?_ She wondered, frowning softly.

"This road is closed, turn around!" Both wolf brothers stated in chorus, extending their fists forward as further proof that they were being idiots.

She glanced at her companion to see he was only staring at them, deadpanned, even though she could swear that she smelled just a hint of annoyance brewing beneath the surface; another sweatdrop formed on her brow as they tried to further intimidate him by pretending to punch and kick the air infront of them.

Uh-oh.

Their antics continued until she saw his lip curl for one miniscule moment.

"Make way," he growled, making the stink of fear they harbored reeking further into the air.

"Honestly, you two, you might wanna listen… H-hey, Sesshomaru!" She trailed off as he walked past her towards the two brothers.

"I told you to **make. way**." Sesshomaru repeated stonily, further scaring the piss out of the two wolf _yokai_.

Getsu sighed. "Oh for the love of _God_," she groaned, making to step forward and grab his sleeve before another familiar scent stung her nose.

"Someone lookin' for me?" His rumbling voice wondered behind the two wolf brothers, pricking her ears.

"K-Koga!" Ginta and Hakkaku cried in chorus as their ever-ruthless leader stood atop a lower ledge of the cliffside, overlooking the scene.

_So _this_ is Koga_, he thought, stealing a glance over his shoulder to see something like dread flickering in her silver stare that locked on her former pack leader, her friend.

"Who are you; what d'ya want?" Koga demanded when locking gaze with the dog _yokai_'s gold stare; his blue eyes roamed past him to the familiar silver eyes of the princess of the western wolf tribe. "Getsu?" He smirked wryly, folding his arms at his chest. "It's been a while." He greeted.

Getsu's expression blanked and she mirrored his stance, the tiniest wrinkle in her brow showing on her pretty face. "Likewise, Koga." She replied quietly.

He hopped down from his ledge, fists on his sides. "He reeks like that half-mutt, InuYasha; I'm surprised you've been able to tolerate his stench this long of time, moon girl." He mused aloud.

She bristled slightly, huffing. "Don't call me that. Besides, it's a right sight better than the stink of wolves killing innocent humans." She rebutted with a soft growl, the memory of that day he'd revived Rin flashing in her mind.

Koga smirked again, his blue eyes sharpening at her reminder. "Still sore about that, huh? We were just playin' around, Getsu; you of all people should know that! Besides, it's not like I really was gonna kill ya. You started the argument." He reminded pointedly, pricking her ears.

Getsu bristled again, the growl getting louder inside her throat. "That's a piss-poor lie and you know it. I only started the argument because my father didn't raise me to cower like a sniveling puppy; least of all to killing humans for sport." She spat.

_It's no wonder they got into an argument_, he thought, practically feeling her aura pulse dangerously at his back.

"Like I said before, your dad is friggin' dead, and so is your tribe. And it's because of Naraku, and your own weakness." He berated, seeing a flash of anger shine in her silver eyes, making them look like broken moons.

"My 'weakness'?" She repeated sharply, stepping forward.

_She's actually kinda cute when she's mad_, he thought, smirking inwardly and stepping forward as well. "Ya told me that you couldn't do shit to save anyone in your family, that all you did was run away like the whimpering puppy you were that day we met…" Koga snapped, perking up as a streak of blue fire narrowly missed his head, ducking and forcing both of his packmates to duck too.

Smoke rose from her fingertips, her claws sharp. "I may have been a puppy then, but I'm twice as strong as I was five years ago! Cut the crap and let's finish where we left off that day in the village." Getsu snarled coldly, the air around her almost tangible with her angered aura.

He huffed and smirked darkly. "Fine with me, I still owe you for that 'not fit to be a pack leader' shitfaced line, too…" He growled, shoving past the barrage his two companions made as he strode forward.

A pale arm stopped him from getting closer to the pissed wolf princess, slightly catching him off guard; she widened her eyes in surprise.

Sesshomaru's gold eyes were dangerous as he glowered at the arrogant wolf _yokai_, meeting his steely blue gaze.

"And what the hell do **_you_** want, **mutt**?" Koga drawled, glowering at him and his audacity at stopping the would-be battle before it even began.

"It's a wonder Getsu even survived living with your disgusting pack of strays for as long as she did. I will leave you with a warning: you'll be dead before you ever lay a finger on the woman I love." He threatened with all the arctic chill of an iceberg in his thundering growl.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought in awe, blushing still at his words.

He huffed and smirked at the challenge present before him, muscles tensing in his limbs. "'The woman you love'? Well, Getsu, I didn't think this little romance shit was that serious between you two; it's sickening." He mused coldly.

"Piss off, you pathetic stray." He spat lowly, seeing his gaze jerk to rest on his after glancing back at his mate.

Koga's lip curled to reveal his fangs. "Look who's talkin', ya oversized **mutt**." He growled.

"Sesshomaru," Getsu began softly.

"Stay back, Getsu; this pest will die by my claws and I will make him regret the day he ever made you bleed." Sesshomaru silenced her, hand lowering to the hilt of Tokijin.

The stink of _oni_ ripped in the air around them, making all five _yokai_ look about as a giant purple _oni_ sailed at them, particularly at the three wolf _yokai_.

"Where the hell did he come from?" Koga growled, perking up as the _oni_ charged him, thundering about the Shikon Jewel shards in his limbs. "Not a chance!" He barked, kicking it in the head before the _oni_ lumbered closer to the others.

Sesshomaru shoved Getsu back by the dragon, Tokijin slicing through the _oni_ and making the body disintegrate in less than seconds.

He glared at the place the _oni_ had stood, looking over his shoulder at her. "Are you alright?" He asked, his tone gentle and yet rough from having killed the _oni_.

She nodded, smiling for him. "Thanks," she replied, rubbing her arm.

"Help me, Master Jaken!" The girl cried as a large insect demon lunged at her.

The quiet 'shink' of her katana leaving the sheath sounded before she disappeared and reappeared behind the dragon, the insect _yokai_ fading into the air after being cut down by the quick-moving wolf princess.

"Thank you, Getsu-onee!" The girl said in relief as she sheathed her katana in the same quiet motion, turning to her and nodding. Her face softened as she brushed her hair from her face in a sisterly way. "Don't mention it," she replied gently.

Koga seemed surprised and confused at her sudden care towards the human girl, catching the gentle and almost maternal way her silver eyes softened in the moonlight; he huffed. "Well, it looks like you really have grown up, Getsu. I'm actually in shock." He mused, stirring her attention to him.

Getsu blushed embarrassedly before she pursed her lips. "Piss off, wolf boy." She sniffed.

Sesshomaru looked at her and smirked to himself at seeing her look rather cute with that expression.

"Thanks for that _oni_, even though I coulda handled it." The wolf _yokai_ added to him with a nod.

He huffed in that aloof way of his and returned Tokijin to his left hip. "Don't mention it, ever." He quipped.

Koga returned the huff. "No need to remind me," he remarked, watching the wolf princess move forward to pause at her mate's side, seeing his left arm slide around her hips possessively; he smirked at her. "Well, guess we'd better get going."

He moved closer to plant a hand on her head and tousle her hair before she smacked his hand away with a scowl, making him chuckle.  
"See you later, moon girl." He turned away to fold his arms over his two companions' shoulders as they started walking away.

She spat after him, the blush still on her cheeks. "Jerk," she grumbled.

"Oi, and Sesshomaru; as much as I hate the stink of dog, make sure ya protect the princess there. She **is** the last hope for her tribe to return, you know." He called over his shoulder.

"I don't need pointers from **you**, wolf." Sesshomaru returned crisply, his arm on her hips squeezing in something like protectiveness and possession.

Koga chuckled before they disappeared into the darkness.

Getsu sighed when they were gone, shoulders slumping; she shot him a look, elbowing his ribs. "I swear, you're worse than a battle-crazed puppy when it comes to fighting." She scolded.

Sesshomaru smirked gently, gold eyes glittering. "Someone has to protect you, if not yourself." He returned with a shrug.

She blushed and then huffed, slipping out of his arm to take the reins of the dragon. "Piss off, fluff-ball."  
He shook his head a little at her, looking off in the direction the trio of wolf _yokai_ had gone.

"Are you content with letting them go, Milord? Those wolves of Koga's are the very wolves that attacked young Rin." Jaken asked hesitantly.

"If he'd tried the same thing today, I would've killed him." Sesshomaru answered stonily.

"Hm?" The imp pressed.

"But considering he didn't harm either Rin or Getsu, I will let him live for another day. Besides, Naraku is the only thing I'm after now; unnecessary conflicts don't interest me." The dog _yokai_ replied, walking forward.

"Getsu-onee, does Lord Sesshomaru despise that Koga guy?" The girl wondered from riding the dragon's back.

She blinked before she smiled lightly. "Nah, they're just actin' like that because they really wanna be friends deep down!" She replied.

"Like hell that will ever happen." He deadpanned.

"Keep quiet, you!" She snapped, a vein twitching annoyedly on her brow.

The girl giggled at their antics.

* * *

A/N: _well that was a rather funny filler, wasn't it? not much else to put except that i was going to give a small spoiler in saying that i AM including the Band of Seven/ Mt. Hakurei arc in the anime in the next chapter. even though Sesshomaru didn't have much of a cameo in the arc except to fight Jakotsu, i feel the Mt. Hakurei arc is something that affects all the chief characters, heroes and anti-heroes. anyway, that's all for now!_

_**review **__**please**__; thanks~_


	16. A Place for My Head - Fight

A/N: ohaiyo_~ lol so on the last chap it was a filler chap copyrights of the InuYasha anime, basically a cameo of Sesshomaru and Koga's official meeting each other. Hakkaku and Ginta, Koga's packmates, thought it would end badly because of the circumstances in which Rin had died (__**see chap.6-7 for further explanation**__) before joining Sesshomaru's "pack". also, Getsu and Koga have a reunion, albeit not as good as you'd think it is. anyway, as i promised in the A/N the last chap, i DID cover the Mt. Hakurei arc, or i covered it as best i could. fight scenes included! wah go figure, this's the longest chap i've written so far! cool lol (no wonder my fingers hurt.. Dx)_  
_enjoy the chap~! _

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref: "__**A Place for My Head**__" by __**Linkin Park**__/ "__**Fight**__" by __**Icon **__**for **__**Hire**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 16: Place for My Head - Fight_**

Static made her slightly yelp before she took a step back, her hand grabbing at his sleeve out of reflex. "A barrier? I'd heard that Mt. Hakurei was sacred, but I didn't think the legends were true." She mused aloud, wrinkling her nose at the invisible barrier that prevented them from moving forward after the girl and imp.

"Getsu, come." He declared, taking her hand and leading her away.

She blinked and obeyed, letting him drag her in the opposite direction. "The scent of that kid disappeared," she noted softly, squeezing his fingers before slipping her hand free to conceal both hands in the folds of her kimono sleeves.

"So I noticed. It's as if the boy's scent faded as soon as he set foot beyond that barrier." He replied.

She looked over her shoulder at where their two companions were; _I hope they're okay_, she thought.

:::::::oOo:::::::

"I'm so sorry; please forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru! Please forgive me; Rin ran off before I could stop her!" The imp groveled pitifully before him.

**_THWACK_**.

"It's a wonder you're still living despite the density of the barrier," the wolf princess cracked her knuckles as a large bump swelled on the toad imp's head.

"Where is she, inside the barrier?" The dog lord guessed, walking past her.

Getsu widened her eyes slightly when he walked forward.

"You mustn't go in there, master! If you enter sacred grounds, even you will be instantly purified!" Jaken grabbed his leg to try and stop him.

Sesshomaru looked down at the imp. "Be quiet, and look behind you." He ordered, making both imp and wolf _yokai_ look to see the figure of the girl running towards them.

"Rin!" Getsu beamed, her shoulders slumping in relief.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said in relief, rushing towards the trio.

"Kohaku was there, wasn't he?" He asked her as she stopped short of him and the imp.  
She quieted then, being surprisingly quiet.

"Be honest, Rin; you can't hide from the master's keen nose!" The toad barked.

"Give it a rest, frog." The wolf _yokai_ scolded, crouching before the girl on one knee. "Rin, is he there? We followed his scent all the way here," she asked gently, looking into her downcast brown eyes.

"The truth is, Kohaku helped me escape; there was a cave full of demons in there," she replied quietly.

"Demons?" Both noble canines repeated in unison.

She nodded. "Kohaku protected me from the demons, so, um…" she trailed off as he looked to the mountain again; she looked at the wolf princess. "Getsu-onee, please tell me; do you and Lord Sesshomaru intend to kill Kohaku?" She asked urgently, surprising both _yokai_.

Getsu glanced up at him before she looked at the girl and smiled warmly for her, planting a hand on her head and ruffling her hair.

"No, we don't. We're not gonna kill Kohaku, okay? We're just following his scent to Naraku. Besides, I won't let it happen." She promised gently, her silver eyes kind and honest, seeming to pacify the girl's fears.

Rin nodded and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Getsu-onee," she replied, hugging her neck with her small arms; she smiled again and squeezed her gently, pulling away to straighten to her feet.

_We're not going to kill him, are we?_ She wondered. _Sesshomaru?_

:::::::oOo:::::::

The scent of wolf blood was on the air.

She looked up at the top of the mountain, shuffling from sitting with the girl to get to her feet.

He looked at her. "What is it?" He asked quietly.

"It's Koga; I can smell his blood," she answered in the same tone, her left hand's fingers coiling around the hilt of her katana as she glared at the looming form of Mt. Hakurei.

_Koga, what the hell are you doing out here?_ She wondered with annoyance, pricking her ears alertly and sniffing the air.

Someone was coming, and if she had to guess, they were coming from the beyond the bridge they –that is to say, Sesshomaru, Rin, Jaken and herself—had taken post of, coming from the dense forest.

"Getsu," he beckoned, already sensing someone coming, flying ahead of her; she spirited after him, widening her eyes slightly as crescents of light were sailing at him.

He sliced through them with a flick of his wrist, Tokijin in hand, forcing the blades to retreat to a broadsword being wielded by a cross-dressing man wearing a lilac kimono, red lipstick and blue tear-stain streaks down his cheeks.

"Are you one of Naraku's followers?" Sesshomaru demanded frostily as she drew her katana quietly behind him.

The transvestite chuckled dryly. "How perceptive of you." He crooned.

"Your stink reeks of the grave; and that cheap whore paint is definitely over two hundred years too ancient." Getsu growled stonily, stepping forward to stand beside her companion, katana brandished in both hands.

He grimaced, lip curling as he straightened. "Huh, well I'll be damned; you're the first wolf demon I've met that isn't using the Shikon Jewel shards. I just might commend you for coming this far without getting greedy. Though the fact that such a handsome dog demon like Sesshomaru fell for an ugly bitch like you is disgusting enough to make me wanna kill you." He spat.

She growled softly, fangs showing in her grimace. "I will admit, compared to you, I don't look like such a damn clown!" She flew at the stranger, her katana clashing with his broadsword, sparks flying in the air.

He huffed. "Not bad, your skills are pretty good! But 'pretty good' isn't good enough to survive!" He headbutted her, forcing her to draw back, sinking into a stance as the growl in her throat rumbled angrily.

He glanced at her. "Well don't you seem pissy," he mused.

She huffed and smirked at him, lifting her katana. "Don't start," she advised softly, watching him fly past her as a literal rebuttal for his comment about his keen nose.

"Silly mortal, spare yourself the suffering and let him slay you quickly!" The imp barked, both he and the girl screaming as the transvestite sent the blades in their direction, creating a small fissure in the rock.

"You talking to me, imp; **_well_**_!?_" The man snapped.

"Your fight is with **us**!" Blue fire knocked him back as she rammed her foot into his jaw, forcing him away as she spirited after his retreat, katana swinging.

"Jaken, go!" The dog _yokai_ ordered as both imp and girl sprinted away down the bridge, the clanging of blades colliding ringing in his ears as his mate fought against the transvestite with loud curses and growls of anger.

_Leave it to her to be the first one ready to fight_, he thought patiently, hearing a slight yelp come from his mate; she skidded into the ground, teeth bared, her katana being bared down against the man's broadsword, blood dripping down her right sleeve from her torn shoulder.

He huffed before his left knee sailed into her gut, forcing her to fly back and land on her backside; he flew to defend her, the Tokijin clashing with his broadsword.

"Sesshomaru," she said in something like relief and frustration.

"Get away, now." He ordered, hearing her scramble away as he disengaged the blades and stood defensively infront of her, left arm extended to block the wolf princess.

She gripped her torn shoulder gingerly, glaring past him at the transvestite who snickered.

"So, you don't want either the little girl or that cheap slut of yours to get in harm's way; aren't you just the kindest thing around?" He sneered at him.

He huffed. "You talk a lot, considering you're a dead mortal." He growled frostily, glancing back to see the blood had stopped dripping from her shoulder, a sign her shoulder was healing up.

The transvestite pouted. "I'm getting tired of you two harping on me about being dead!" He exhaled. "Oh, never mind… With the girl gone and your wolf puppy licking her wounds, you'll at least be able to concentrate on our battle." He smirked darkly.

His face blanked. "Getsu, stay back," he urged, lunging at the transvestite, their blades clashing humming in the air.

She scowled after him, clicking her tongue. _Honestly, just because I'm the princess of the western wolf tribe doesn't mean I can't fight!_ She thought, perking her ears as the scent of another dead human came from the opposite end of the bridge.

"Rin!" She gasped, ears pricking as the transvestite swung his broadsword's blades, leaving him defenseless as the Tokijin went flying out of his hand; she widened her eyes slightly before she glared at the man.

"I don't suppose you're gonna beg for your life, are you, dog boy?" The transvestite jeered with a laugh.

Blue fire was thrown at him, forcing him away and from firing another attack; his eyes widened alertly.

Getsu swung her foot in the air after leaping, a large torrent of blue flames screaming at him; he brought his broad sword up to block, gritting his teeth as the flames seemed to be stronger before he cried out as he was sent flying.

She sprinted after him, smoke rising from her palms as she saw him scramble to his feet; she swiped at his face with her claws, blood streaking across his cheek at her direct hit, drawing further back as she sent spout after spout of blue fire at him, unrelenting.

"You damn wolf whore, you ruined my face!" The transvestite snapped angrily, propelling a foot into her gut and sending his blades flying at her she was thrown back.

She brought her katana up in time to block the strikes, landing in a slight crouch on her knees, watching him spring out from the brush she'd driven him into, angered and clearly wanting to kill her; she smirked darkly, lowering her katana slightly.  
"Either way, you'll have to kiss your prissy looks goodbye when you're sent back to your damn grave! **Dying Wolf's Blood**!" She swung the katana from the left, sending a wide torrent of green energy screaming at the caught-off-guard dead mortal.

"**What**!?" He gasped before he was sent flying again, a cry of pain ringing out in his wake.  
Small wisps of smoke danced into the foggy air around her; she flicked her wrist, sheathing her katana.

The girl's scream as the bridge crumbled and fell down the tall gorge rang out.

"**Rin**!" Getsu cried, sprinting to the cliff edge and leaping down after them.

Sesshomaru flew after her, hearing her yelp as she almost forgot she couldn't fly like he could; he hooked his arm around her waist, spooking her before she latched onto his neck and held onto him tightly.

"Your shoulder," he began.

She shook her head. "It's okay; y'know me, I heal fast." She smiled weakly.

He huffed and shook his head knowingly. "That doesn't surprise me. But it does seem as though you've gotten stronger since that incident with Naraku." His gold eyes looked like they were melted. "I've never seen you attack with such ferocity, but then again, it's to be expected when watching the princess of the western wolf tribe dance." He mused.

She quieted and then smiled humbly, hugging his neck. "Shut up," she grumbled, hearing him chuckle.

They landed lithely on the rocky bank of the river; he squeezed her waist reflexively before setting her down, seeing her shake her head like a dog ridding itself of water, making an amused smirk cross his lips before he looked at the river and frowned slightly at the loss of the girl's scent.

"That's just great, now we'll have to follow the river." She mused, following him as he started walking along the bank, arms folding in the sleeves of her kimono.

He glanced at her as she flanked his right side. "I take it you also didn't catch sight of what the second mortal looked like, either." He guessed, seeing her nod sagely.

"If they hadn't fallen in the river, we could've followed his stink. Just what the hell was Naraku thinking when he summoned those guys, the Band of Seven?" She wondered aloud with a scowl.

He scoffed at the mention and mirrored her, folding his arms in the sleeves of his _kosode_. "If I was able to tell what that slime was thinking, I'd have already killed him by now." He replied.

She smirked at him, a fang showing in her smirk. "Get in line, darling, it wasn't your clan he destroyed, now was it?" She remarked.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat, ears twitching as they both heard the small groans of consciousness coming from an outcropping of rocks nearby.

She blinked before she frowned and stomped over to the rocks, the imp seeming to pretend to play dead; she grabbed him by the scruff and held him up. "Jaken, it's a relief you're alive. Though your little heroics play didn't pan out very well." She deadpanned.

The imp flailed and kicked until she dropped him onto the ground, watching his face plant into the rocky surface, blubbering again and mumbling apologies to her companion.

"So much for playing dead, isn't that right, Jaken? If Getsu hadn't sniffed you out you would've still been pretending to be dead." Sesshomaru mused with an underlying scolding in his tone.

"Please forgive me, Lord Sesshomaru! I swear that I will save Rin even if it costs me my life!" Jaken bowed his head dutifully, earning a look from the she-wolf before she followed her mate, sidling to his left side and letting him take her hand out of reflex.

"I'm pretty sure there are plenty of toads around here to replace him," Getsu mused lightly, hearing the imp yelp and then scurry after their departure.  
A wry smirk made his lips twitch. "That idea never sounded better," Sesshomaru agreed with a nod, hearing her snicker.

"Wah, Lord Sesshomaru, you can't be serious! Lord Sesshomaru!?" Jaken cried shrilly, waterfalls running down his cheeks.

* * *

Both _yokai_ stopped as soon as the barrier's surface sent sparks into the air when he moved close enough to it.

_Hmm… how exactly do we get past this thing?_ She wondered, the knuckle of her left index finger tapping her lower lip in thought_. I doubt any attack or barrier I would use would work against such a strong purification barrier_, she thought grimly, frowning. She sniffed the air, looking around in the growing darkness of dusk.

"Fuck," she grumbled under her breath at coming to another dead end.

"Getsu," his hand on hers tightened a little before he walked forward with the wolf demon in tow.

"S-Sesshomaru, wait!" Getsu yelped, latching onto his arm tightly as they passed through the barrier together, sparks flying around them.

Sesshomaru glanced down at her, at the fang showing in her grimace; _the barrier is affecting her as well, but not as much as I had imagined it would. Is she really stronger than she was several months ago?_ He wondered.

He let her shrug away once they were yards away from the original entry point, looking at her. "The barrier isn't affecting you so much," he noted.

She shook her head, her ears twitching in slight annoyance at the denseness of the barrier around them. "It's surprising to me too." She sniffed the air and her lip curled. "Rin's scent is mixed with the scent of that prick." She added darkly.

Sesshomaru nodded, walking off. "Come on, we'll cut them off." He urged, taking off at a sprint.

Getsu smirked gently and sprinted after him until they were side-by-side once more. _Rin, hang on; we're coming!_ She thought.

::::::::oOo::::::::

The stink of dead mortal made her nose wrinkle in distaste.

"Getsu, stay back; I'll signal you if anything goes awry," he instructed quietly at her side.  
She frowned slightly and nodded, her hand on the hilt of her katana gripping the handle. "Right," she replied softly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee, you've come!" The girl exclaimed in relief from being held captive by the taller of the two corpse's grip.

"He cut us off!" The one holding Rin grated in disgust.

"Damn wretch and his little slut, too! You're both demons and yet the barrier isn't affecting you!" The transvestite growled, reaching for the broadsword at his back. "Maybe this will!" He swung the blade at them, both _yokai_ splitting up and going in opposite directions as the blades were sent at him.

He dodged them lithely, or so it seemed; his blood stung her nose as she landed lithely on another ledge.

_His arm!_ She thought in surprise, gritting her teeth around a growl that escaped her throat before she lunged at the two corpses.

The transvestite snickered. "I thought so; your skills have been affected by the barrier."  
A loud snarl rang out as a jet of blue fire screamed at him, forcing him to fly back, his companion also leaping out of the way.

"Did you forget that the undead can easily be slain by fire?" Getsu drawled frostily, palms smoking as the wisps faded into the foggy air around them.

"I thought I told you to stay back." Sesshomaru pointed out with a sideways glance at his mate.

Her shoulders hunched lightly and she closed her eyes serenely. "Your blood is in the air; can't expect the woman you love to just sit by biting her claws off, can you?"

He shook his head softly and exhaled. "Regardless, you're still a very reckless princess."

"Your pride is astounding, since you can barely stand." The transvestite mused grimly, brandishing his sword at her mate. "As to your bitch, you look like you can be a really persistent mutt."

Getsu huffed and flashed her fangs in a brief threat. "Let the girl go and I won't burn your sorry ass back to your miserable grave." She spat.

"Playing the hero and the damsel at the same time! You're more screwed in the head than I figured!" The transvestite swung his sword's blades at her as he charged.

Sesshomaru caught them on Tokijin, yanking the man back with a slight grunt and sending him flying back behind him, whirling to fight with him, saying, "Getsu, get Rin."

She spirited for the man holding the girl, lunging and sending her right foot into his jaw; he staggered back slightly, swiping at her with the steel claws attached to his gold glove angrily, forcing her to draw back after being grazed on her left heel by the claws.

"Getsu-onee!" The girl exclaimed in fear.

The wound seemed to slow regenerate, slightly irking her; _my healing power isn't working as well as it normally would because of the barrier_, she realized, tongue clicking before she drew her katana. "Don't worry, Rin; we're gonna go home as soon as this is over, I promise." She assured her gently.

The man huffed. "Hollow words coming from a weakened wolf demon." He mused, pricking her ears.

She flashed her teeth, huffing back. "I never caught your names, by the way; it's something I was raised with, to learn the name of my opponent." She drawled.

He smirked at her instinctive flash of teeth. "Suikotsu; Jakotsu is the one who your beloved is fighting. And what's yours?" He returned.

"Getsu," she introduced quietly, gripping the hilt before she flew forward, sparks flying when her blade clashed against his claws, being thrown back by the sheer power in his right arm.

_I can't use Mangetsuga's powers because he's holding Rin hostage_, she thought with an inward growl of frustration. _If I use my wolf fire, I might burn the girl in the process! Shit, this is sticky_. She glanced down at the blade of her father's heirloom and exhaled, her wolf beast bristling and clawing angrily at the inner recesses of her mind, aching to be unleashed.

_**No**__, not yet!_ She inwardly forced her beast down, glaring at the man Suikotsu before she flew forward. _I'll just have to think through this_, she thought.

Suikotsu blocked each blow, his claws snagging on the sleeve of her kimono before he rammed the claws through her left arm, blood flying.

"Getsu-onee!" Rin cried as she grit her teeth and growled, her right hand shaking as she returned the favor and sliced his left arm off, drawing back quickly as he cried out in pain, dropping the girl onto the ground.

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at smelling her blood taint the air, his stomach knotting; _damn it!_ He thought, disengaging the blades and stabbing Jakotsu in his left lung with his clawed hand, taking him by surprise.

Blood dripped from between her fingers that gripped her torn arm tightly, silver eyes tightened as she watched the dark crimson pool beneath where his left arm used to be, teeth bared defensively as the girl scrambled to hide behind her.

"You damn wolf!" Suikotsu snarled, lunging at her with his good hand; Sesshomaru sprinted to stop him.

"We can't be killed like other mortals; say goodbye to your precious slut." Jakotsu sneered behind him as he lunged.

A sacred arrow shot past them, hitting the adam's apple in Suikotsu's neck, surprising Sesshomaru, Getsu, and Jakotsu; Suikotsu's eyes widened before he slowly sank to the ground on his knees.

Getsu turned to see a priestess moving towards them from slipping off the horse she'd ridden, using her long bow as a crutch as she moved closer towards the man she'd shot at; her eyes widened slightly as she realized this priestess was one of the walking dead. She bristled and lifted her katana before he stayed her hand, his claws digging gently into the fabric of her wrist guard, forcing her to wait; she shot him a look, obeying silently.

Her nose wrinkled as Jakotsu muttered something about the priestess scaring him before he scampered away, her silver eyes glancing at the woman as she walked past them and the girl, bristling again at feeling the stink of death practically pulsate around the woman's frame.

_Who is this priestess? And why does she look like Kagome?_ She thought.

The slain Suikotsu looked up a little at the priestess as she kneeled at his side, a small smile on his lips.  
"Lady Kikyo, I'm glad to see you here." He greeted kindly.

_'Kikyo'?_ Getsu inwardly recited, bristling a bit less. So _this_ was the mortal that InuYasha had fallen for, fifty years ago; this was the mortal Sesshomaru mentioned once, the reason InuYasha had been sealed.

_But all for a priestess? Why her? She is… or rather, she used to be, human!_ She thought, feeling the pain from her ripped arm having dulled by this point.

He looked at her as she lifted the sleeve of her kimono top to see the injury was healing, albeit not as fast as normal due to the barrier's power, but well enough for a demon.

She smiled in relief, glancing up at him and holding his gold stare for a long moment, silver eyes soft, before she looked at the priestess and slain Suikotsu, widening her eyes a little as the woman reached to take the shining shard from his neck. "Hang on," she began to declare, pricking her ears as the blades of Jakotsu's broad sword swung down on his throat, finishing the job and sending the shard flying before he caught it in hand.

"I'll take this as a memento," Jakotsu declared before he ran off, disappearing into the fog.

Getsu glared after him, gripping the hilt of her katana.

"Let him go; he's no longer our problem." Sesshomaru advised quietly at her side, staying her hand and holding it down at her side.  
She quieted reluctantly and nodded again, sheathing her katana wordlessly. "You still take the fun out of things," she grated sorely.

The girl gasped in surprise as the body of Suikotsu faded, being replaced with his dry bones that framed his dead body; she looked at the remains and huffed under her breath.

"Excuse me, priestess? Thank you for saving my life, and Getsu-onee's as well," Rin approached the woman shyly.

The priestess Kikyo nodded. "You're welcome. I'm glad you're not hurt; you must've been scared." She said with a small kind smile at the girl.

"At times he was frightening, but at other times…" Rin trailed off quietly as if in lament.

Getsu moved closer to place a hand on her shoulder, earning her big brown gaze to lift and meet her silver stare; she looked at the priestess and her silver eyes were slightly cold.  
"Thank you for acting when you did, for saving the girl." She said softly, bowing her head a little in respect before turning to follow her mate as he walked away; the girl watched them leave before she said her goodbye to the priestess and followed shortly, her small hand grasping the sleeve of the wolf demon's kimono. She smiled down at her, relieved and tired at the same time.

He paused, glancing back at the priestess before seeing her silver eyes meet his stare; she tilted her head to one side curiously, further fueling the belief that she was a wolf. "How's your arm?" He asked.

She shrugged, ignoring a wince, before she sighed. "It's doing better." She lowered to a crouch to let the girl ride her shoulders, straightening. "The sooner we get away from this place the better." She added.

Sesshomaru nodded, continuing to lead the way into the fog.

* * *

The beast in her bristled like mad.

She silently willed it to calm, glowering past his shoulder at the new form of Naraku.

"I must say, you took extraordinary measures just to kill a mere woman, Naraku." He greeted coldly as they both stood behind the half-breed.

The aforementioned half-demon turned a little to smirk over his shoulder at the two _yokai_. "Sesshomaru," his red eye flickered to the wolf demon at his back. "Getsuei." He greeted back.

She bristled, hearing the wolf beast inside thunder a snarl in the back of her mind; her hand on her katana's hilt tightened in reflex.

"Jaken, stay back." Sesshomaru ordered quietly; the toad imp blinked before he obeyed and backed away from them.

"I never expected you to be following me as well, Sesshomaru; though it is something I expected from your beloved princess, the way she's still nursing that old wound." Naraku drawled, turning more towards the couple. "I've become that interesting to you, have I?"

A sweatdrop formed on her brow as the toad imp burst out a complaint at the half-demon; she exhaled patiently as he shot him a look.

"I said '_back away_', Jaken." He growled, quieting the imp and making him back away again. "Since you've emerged from your barrier, I assume you've gained a significant amount of power." He added to the man both he and his mate loathed more than anything, watching the aforementioned source of their loathing turn fully towards them.

The wind howled softly around them; he sneered. "Why don't you see for yourself?" Naraku challenged, red eyes glittering.

Getsu perked up slightly as he extended his left arm to block her from drawing her sword, watching him slip the Tokijin from the sash at his waist. "Sesshomaru," she breathed in confusion.

Naraku cackled softly. "How quaint, I didn't think to imagine the stench between you two pathetic mongrels could make me any sicker than before at my castle. Also, I'm surprised to see your left arm is back, Sesshomaru; did you retrieve it from your father's burial site?" He wondered.

Sesshomaru remained stoic, swinging the blade outward and sending a shot of blue energy screaming at the half-breed, seeming to have made a direct hit.

Getsu's eyes widened alertly as the aforementioned villain cackled again, the bust of his head and pieces of his body being safely protected in a purple barrier-bubble; _how did he manage to keep his head?_ She wondered in surprise.

"Sesshomaru; I shall unleash the power of your sword back at you full force!" Naraku growled; the same attack he'd used was sent screaming at him.

A rectangular wall of blue fire blocked the attack from striking him, surprising her mate as he saw her standing protectively infront of him, palms open wide and forward.

"Your magic tricks have improved, I'm surprised," she sneered, digging her heels into the ground and lessening the fiery barrier as the attack dissipated, arms lowering to her sides. "As to your question regarding his arm, I was the one who restored it." She growled coldly, katana drawn as she sliced his head in half down the center.

He laughed. "I can never die, you whore of a princess!" He cried, his body reforming and disappearing in a tornado of his purple miasma, the tornado lifting high into the air.

She thrust her fist upward, a spout of blue fire chasing the tornado before it faded into the howling wind around them; he returned his sword to his side as she sheathed her katana with a low curse that escaped from between her fangs.

"Are you alright?" He asked, mostly out of concern, partially out of habit.

She nodded, scowling up at where the tornado went. "Fucking perfect," she grumbled.

He shook his head at her pissy tone; _such language from a princess_, he thought, pricking his ears as they both heard a pair of bare feet rushing towards them.

Sesshomaru pulled her behind him by the scruff, looking into the gold eyes of his younger brother.

"Sesshomaru," the half-bred dog growled a greeting, his tone surprised.

"InuYasha?" The wolf demon poked her head from behind his shield, blinking once before she tilted her head to one side. "Talk about a surprise, seein' you here." She greeted in a lighter tone.

"Doesn't surprise me you're here, Getsu, knowing how you are." InuYasha quipped gruffly.

A vein twitched on her brow.

**_THWACK_**.

"**OW! THAT HURT**!" A large bump swelled on his head.

"Quit **_whining_**, _you're such a puppy!_ Gods, it was just a little **smack**!" She cracked her knuckles, turned away from the brained half-breed.

"That's easy fer **_you_** to say, you're not the one getting beat on by a **bratty mutt princess**!" InuYasha grated annoyedly, a larger vein twitching on his cheek.

"Why I aughta…" Getsu growled, turning to beat him into the next life before she heard him sigh and drag her back by the collar of her kimono.

"Good grief, hearing you two argue is enough to give me a damn migraine…" Sesshomaru groaned softly in exasperation, shooting his captive mate a stony glare that silenced her would-be rebuttal, his gold eyes narrowed in annoyance as they locked on the half-breed's likewise gold orbs. "So you're still alive, I see." He said.

"Just what're you doing here?" The younger of the two dog brothers growled.

"It seems that Naraku's main interest wasn't you, if you find that hard to believe." He replied coolly, looking away. "But perhaps his real objective was to kill that woman."

InuYasha stiffened as Getsu sniffed the air and –despite knowing the dead didn't give off much of a strong scent—noting that he was correct in saying that Naraku had come to kill that priestess Kikyo.

She frowned as he moved closer to the long bow that had been broken in half, picking up one of the halves and gritting his teeth.

Even though he and Sesshomaru didn't get along and Sesshomaru didn't want anything to do with his half-brother, she felt pity for the younger of the two brothers for losing that woman... the woman he had fallen for half a century ago.

"InuYasha," she took a step forward to go comfort him.

"Leave him, Getsu." Sesshomaru ordered quietly behind her.

Getsu quieted and scowled at him, meeting his equally sharp scowl that more often than naught got her to obey him, whether she liked it or not.

"Fine; let's go. This miasma is making me nauseous." She growled, storming ahead of him away from the grieved half-breed; he shook his head at her stubborn streak and followed until they were side by side.

"Wait, Sesshomaru." InuYasha snapped behind them, making both demons pause; he bristled. "Did you just watch her get killed: didn't you do anything to help? Either one of you!?" He growled.

Sesshomaru turned away, dragging her after him.

"I asked you a question!" InuYasha spat, preparing to draw his Tetsusaiga.

"I don't care what your relationship to that woman was; the one responsible for her death is Naraku." He answered stiffly, continuing to walk away.

She looked over her shoulder, almost halting, staring at his surprised and infuriated gold eyes, feeling that same pity towards him surging again.

He released her hand to fold his arm around her shoulders, steering her away as the imp fell in step after them. "And you're the one who didn't save her, either: InuYasha, blame yourself. Rather than take your anger out on me, I suggest you go after Naraku." He spared him one steely gold glance before they continued walking away.

* * *

He caught her extended fist in his left palm with little effort, ignoring the slight heat searing into his flesh that radiated from her shaking fist; his gold eyes tightened, masking the surprise at having her strike him.

Her silver eyes were tight, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "InuYasha was distraught!" She growled.

His eyes narrowed. "What do you want me to do about it? I said it before; I wasn't the one who killed that woman…" He defended.

"That's beside the point! I'm just saying that he's your little brother; you're blood whether you like it or not, Sesshomaru!" She interjected sharply, quieting him.

He released her seething fist, watching her shake her hand he'd caught before slipping it in the folds of her kimono sleeve. "Get to the point," he declared.

She huffed. "I don't understand any of it; and apparently I don't understand you, because seeing you refuse to have anything to do with the only family you have left in this world as well as refusing to even consider that said person your brother is starting to piss me off!" She cried, her silver eyes narrowed as she vainly prayed the tears wouldn't fall.

Sesshomaru quieted before looking away. "Maybe you don't and you never **_have_** been able to understand me!" He snapped.

Getsu glowered up at him before she clicked her tongue and jerked her gaze away, turning sharply on her heel to storm away from him.

"Where are you going?" He called.

She didn't answer and instead loped away further from him into the cover of night; he released a frustrated sigh, scowling in the direction she'd left, before he followed at a calmer pace after her trail through the brush.

* * *

_Korihime, a wolf demon like her with long cobalt blue hair, hung back by one of the pillars of the main entryway to the meeting room, her usually soft blue eyes narrowed in something like fear and annoyance as she watched the scene unfold before them._

_The man kneeled on his knees respectfully before their great wolf demon father was handsome; long wavy brown hair fell down his back that was covered in an elegant-looking blue and violet_ haori_ over a dark gray _kosode_ and brown _hakama_; his red eyes peered up beneath brown lashes at their father's stony silver eyes._

_'Surely my lord Kiba, you will reconsider my business offer.' He said, his voice a silky drawl._

_Getsu ignored the urge to flash her teeth as she sat to her father's right; being the firstborn daughter in their family, she was given the responsibility to be her father's right-hand man… er, woman._

_For some reason or another, she despised this man; she wasn't sure just what it was, but there was something about him that made her bristle and feel like she was looking at a slimy snake._

_Lord Kiba's lip curled for the slightest miniscule moment at his words; he scoffed in derision, the knuckle at his lip lowering as he rested both hands in his lap. 'Not in the slightest! You're a fool to ever think that I would do business with the likes of you, Naraku.' He declined lowly._

_Naraku's red eyes widened a little in surprise before they closed, a sneering smile spreading across his lips; he bowed his head lower, locks of brown hair touching the floor he was kneeled on. 'Very well, I shall respect your wishes, Lord Kiba.' He shuffled to his feet, coming to the same height as her father, both her father and the older of the two sisters straightening too to show him out._

_His red eyes flashed to the wolf princess at her father's right; she bristled out of habit, silver eyes becoming hard like a blade. 'In that case, I bid you both farewell.' He bowed respectfully, both wolf demons bowing in return, before they straightened in unison; his red eyes roamed over to the she-wolf. 'I will return to my homeland in the east; there are no more business prospects for me, here, in the west.' He relented with a sigh, turning to leave the meeting room._

_'Your daughter is lovely, Lord Kiba; it would be a shame to let her beauty go to waste spending the rest of her life around here.' Naraku added over his shoulder, throwing a red-eyed glance at the wolf princess._

_Getsu flashed her teeth and made to fire a retort before her father's large hand gripped her shoulder, forcing her to quiet down; she glanced up at him and obeyed, begrudgingly, glowering daggers at the man she found to be utterly repulsive._

_'Getsuei humbly gives you thanks for your compliment, Naraku.' Kiba replied stiffly, shooting his daughter a silver-eyed command that said 'bow'._

_She clicked her tongue out of reflex, shoulders slumping, before she bowed respectfully to the disgusting slime. 'Thank you, Naraku-san.' She grounded softly, straightening quickly to stare at him coldly._

_He chuckled softly, turning to leave through the main doors, glancing at the snooping form of Korihime on his way out; he slid the door open, stepping out and closing it shut behind his leave._

_Both father and daughter heaved a long-overdue sigh._  
_Getsu glared in the direction he'd gone, her clawed hands at her sides balling into angered fists._

_'Getsuei,' her father spoke, pricking her ears as the world around her faded slowly from sight._

"Getsu…"

::::::oOo::::::::

A loud growl came from the sleeping wolf before she drew her katana with a flick of the wrist, the blade tip aimed at his throat.

Her silver eyes were dangerous daggers of moonlight as she stared coldly into his slightly surprised gold stare.

"Getsu," he spoke her name again, louder this time, seeming to snap her out of the trance.

She blinked a couple of times, her silver eyes resting on the blade that separated him from her; she lowered the katana, sheathing it wordlessly, looking up at him. "Sorry," she mumbled, brushing locks of black hair from her face.

He shook his head, seeing her slump back down against the tree she had slept against, rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"How long was I out?" She asked around stifling a yawn.

He smiled a little, relieved that she had forgotten her anger, glancing around them at the darkened clearing. "A few hours, I suppose." He replied.

Getsu nodded, looking past him at the trees surrounding them, her eyes catching on the way the half-moon glistened on his silver hair and made it look white, silver eyes softening. _It's a half-moon, just like on that night_, she thought, grimacing at the memory and rubbing her right arm.

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow at her grimace, tilting his head. "If you weren't so pleased to see me, you should've said something." He pointed out, pricking her ears.

She blushed and shook her head, scowling at him. "That's not it. I… I just, I was thinking, that's all." She said softly, looking away as she drew her knees to her belly, hugging them.

He left the brow raised. "It's not Naraku, is it?" He wondered.

She exhaled shakily and nodded, gesturing he sit next to her, watching him shuffle to sit down at her left. "I had a dream… well to be honest, it was more like a memory…" She retold her dream to him, her silver eyes lifting to look up at the half-moon almost in the middle of the night sky, surrounded by the vast stars and other beings in the heavens.

Sesshomaru nodded wisely when she finished retelling her memory, lifting a hand to brush stray locks of hair from her cheek. "Even then, you knew you despised him." He mused.

Getsu nodded, lowering her gaze from the night sky to the dark fabric of her _hakama_, "I still despise him, only it's a worse case now, because of what he did that night… and how he almost killed you." She shivered in revulsion at the thought, hugging her knees closer.

He exhaled patiently, running a hand through his bangs. "I told you before; I wouldn't have been killed off that easily…" He trailed off at catching the whiff of salty tears coming from his companion.

She shook her head again, sniffing. "I know that! I just… I'm afraid to lose you. You're the only demon I've met that hasn't kicked me out of his pack, and I know we didn't get along in the beginning, but we made it to this point, right? Even though you rarely show it, you are kind-hearted, Sesshomaru. I can see it." She said, wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes and rubbing her nose gingerly.

Sesshomaru quieted slightly and smiled, his hand stroking her cheek and letting his thumb stroke her cheekbone gently. "It's a wonder a stubborn, brash princess like you would see the best in everyone, even in someone like me." He mused quietly.

Getsu blushed again, holding his hand to her cheek. "I've been able to see that for a while, now, to be honest; ever since you chased me that night after I stopped you from hurting Kagome." She admitted.

He smiled again, recalling their earlier spat and exhaling, looking at her silver eyes. "Are we alright now?" He asked, seeming to make her recall their argument.

She nodded, laughing weakly. "Yeah, we're fine. Sorry if I seemed to get emotional over that," she mused.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and inclined her head to plant his lips on hers, surprising her and feeling her blush beneath the hand that stroked her cheek, pulling back to bury his nose in the crown of her forehead. "Good, though the next time you do get like that, at least take it out on Jaken… or InuYasha, if you want." He added distastefully, hearing her giggle.

Getsu smacked his chest gently, smirking at him. "Be nice, you're brothers." She scolded warmly.

He shook his head, feeling her legs slide down to the ground as he pressed himself closer to her body, seeing her blush. "Being this close to you makes it very hard to 'be nice', princess." He remarked.

She smiled and stroked his hair absently, kissing him again. "Heel, boy," she teased with a wink.

Sesshomaru deadpanned, his ears twitching. "Now you're just being sarcastic," he accused.  
Getsu rolled her eyes, lips pursed in a pout. "You're still mean," she grated sorely, deflated since he'd stolen her thunder.

He chuckled.

* * *

A/N: _for some reason i feel that i made Getsu be a busy-body in this chap.. idk why. other than that, exciting huh? or as exciting as it turned out to be? lol also, Getsu and Sesshy's first fight! at least it ended on good terms, which its obvious it wouldn't have ended on __**BAD**__ terms b/c they're mates and (taking Getsu's wolf nature into thought) wolves mate for life, so the fight would've been overlooked later on.. either way. also, a little flashback in Getsu's dreams, thinking back to the last time she saw Naraku face-to-face before he ravaged her home... i felt like putting that in. also! we get to see what Korihime looked like! lol i haven't gotten around to sketching a reference for her, i might do that one of these days before i finish this fic. just a thought. ^^_

_**ALSO**_! _*insert fangirl squeal* the chap after the next (most likely ch.18) will be revolving around the third __**InuYasha movie**__, __**Swords of an Honorable Ruler**__ (movie no.03). __**IMSOEXCITEDILUVTHATMOVIETODETH**__.. i mean.. *cough* depending how big of a chap it'll be i most likely will make it a two-part chap. not sure, i still have to cover eps 133/134 (even though they're fillers i still feel Getsu deserves to be in those eps xD especially to burn that stupid princess back to her grave..) *cough* sorry, fangirl mode went on overdrive. xDD_

_anywho, __**review please**__! thanks~_


	17. Forever (I Will Live For You)

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu (along with everyone else in the main group of the series) took on the revived group known as the Band of Seven; but the reason behind their reappearance in the world of the living? guess who~ yep, you guessed it: Naraku. so our favorite demented half-demon is back in action and twice as repulsive as ever! seeing him alive again has caused Getsu to remember the last time she saw him before her home was destroyed, five years in the past... will our lovebirds overcome this? and will Naraku finally be slain? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copright to Takahashi Rumiko-sensei; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Awake and Alive**__" by __**Skillet**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 17: Forever (I Will Live For You)_**

A yawn escaped her. She could definitely tell they were nearing the sea; this much fog in the air usually meant that there was a body of water nearby.

There had been no further sign of Naraku nearby, and even though it was a relief, at the same time it was also annoying.

"You've been more pensive than usual, today," he noted aloud, pricking her ears.

She folded her arms behind her head leisurely, "sorry. Just been thinking about the whole thing with Mt. Hakurei. I know they're dead, those idiots, but the thing with Naraku returning still bugs me."

A frown crinkled his brow. "You're not the only one," he mused.

Her silver eyes looked at him in a sideways glance and she closed her eyes serenely, huffing. "Well then, that helps. Though I still need to stab him in his fucking throat, though."

He smirked at her. "Such language coming from a wolf princess."

"You still love me for it, so I don't see you complaining." She teased with a chuckle.

He began to rebut before the sight of a shadow shifting in the fog ahead of them steered his attention away from his fellow demon, stopping; she pricked her ears and stopped as well, looking at him.

The imp ran face-first into his leg from behind, flopping back on the ground; "Is something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?" the girl asked hesitantly, looking at both her lord and the female wolf demon she thought of as her older sister, big brown eyes roving from one demon to the next.

The shrill sound of a flute being played perked her ears; his gold eyes sharpened as he heard the flute, his mind recalling the day he'd first met Getsu… a flute had been playing that day, as well.

A woman walked out of the shadow, with dark brown hair kept back, wearing a pink kimono covered by a long green robe; the flute was held gingerly in her hands, being played by the stranger; she stopped playing at last, lowering the flute from her lips to bow respectfully before both _yokai_, particularly before him.

"It's been quite some time, Lord Sesshomaru." The woman greeted in a calm monotonous voice.

"Who are you?" The imp barked. "And how do you know my master…?" He was silenced as her fist slammed into his head, forcing him to retreat behind both _yokai_.

"Do you **_know_** her?" She asked softly, her fist uncurling and instead lifting to the hilt of her katana poised at her left side; he stole a glance at her, practically being able to smell the hostility towards this strange woman she held.

"Forgive me; I am Sara." The woman bowed her head a little in apology for her rudeness, her cobalt eyes for her mate, ignoring the tensed look she garnered from the wolf _yokai_. "I'm from Asano Castle; have you forgotten?"

"'Asano Castle'?" The dog demon lord repeated in slight confusion.

"The first time I saw you, Lord Sesshomaru, was at Asano Castle during a more turbulent time." The woman named Sara replied, seeming to recall the first moment she'd seen him.

Getsu's eyes widened slightly as she remembered the circumstance she'd met him in, the sight of those soldiers aiming rifles at his then-wounded-self flashing in her mind.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Sara began softly, cobalt eyes on him again.

His gaze narrowed. "I don't know you." He declared, walking past her, his mate at his heels.

"Please, don't go," she turned to him, pricking her ears; she inwardly huffed. _Persistent bitch_, she thought, her fingers itching to draw her katana. "I want to make your wish come true."

He finally stopped; "help me; you?" He wondered, glancing back at her.

"Yes, and when I've helped you accomplish your desires, I only ask that you acknowledge my feelings for you." She stated, gripping the flute in her hand.

A quiet '_shink_' sounded as she aimed her katana's tip at the woman's nose, taking her by surprise; he sighed quietly. _A wolf indeed, especially being territorial towards me_, he thought resignedly.

"Your '_feelings_' are going to die here and now along with your pathetic life if you come near him: leave now, and I'll consider sparing you." She threatened icily, clawed fingers tightening on the hilt of her katana as she glared into the woman's cobalt stare.

"Getsuei," he growled, pricking her ears and making her flinch at hearing him speak her full name for the first time; she darted a glance at him, keeping the katana pointed at the woman. "What?" She spat.

"Leave her." Sesshomaru ordered, surprising her; her eyes tightened annoyedly and she growled in frustration, lowering her katana stiffly, sheathing it.

"I'll fulfill your wish no matter what it takes." Sara promised, hearing the wolf demon snarl softly.

He looked away. "As you please." He growled, hearing her nod and say 'good' before she walked away from them.

Getsu spat after her, bristled and just plain pissed that she had the gall to practically ignore her presence. "I should've killed her." She grumbled, turning to scowl at him as he glanced at her; she folded her arms at her chest stiffly, silver eyes narrowed.

"Such an odd mortal! Lord Sesshomaru, just who was that woman?" Jaken asked in confusion, Rin moving to his side with the reins of Ah-Un in hand. "She sure was pretty," Rin chimed.

Getsu huffed. "Whoever she was, she smells rank. I don't like her, and a certain demon didn't want her blood spilled…"

"Has your keen nose weakened, Getsu? She wasn't human." Sesshomaru interjected sharply, perking her ears.

She nodded, her arms dropping to her side as she walked closer to him; she backhanded his head sharply, making him wince a little, before he looked at her. "What was that for?" He asked.

"Never call me by my first name. And don't act like I wasn't there when the bitch was talking, either!" She growled, storming ahead of him. "You really are a jerk, Sesshomaru." She called once she was yards away from him, loping off into the fog and putting distance between her and her pack.

"Getsu-onee!" Rin called, her call falling on deaf ears; she frowned worriedly, looking up at her lord, feeling conflicted and torn between running after the wolf demon and staying with the dog demon.

Sesshomaru almost winced at seeing her conflicted and worried face, watching the fog swirl around them before he exhaled. "Rin, stay here." He instructed quietly, following the wolf demon at a calmer pace.

::::::::oOo::::::::

The salty scent of the sea stung her nose.

She scowled at the ocean below the cliff she sat on, legs dangling absently over the edge, left elbow resting on her right leg with her chin resting in the palm of her left hand.

_Stupid dog, stupid woman, stupid relationship… Why did I ever fall for him?_ She demanded of herself, calling upon her wolf beast for some sort of answer.

The beast only seemed to slumber, refusing to answer. _Some help _**you **_are_, she thought, sniffing.

The wind whistled softly against her, sending strands of ebony hair to dance in the breeze; her ears twitched as she caught his scent on the air.

She peered over her shoulder at her visitor, meeting his gold stare; she looked out at the ocean. "I'm not talking to you."

He sighed and shuffled to come closer to her side. "You know, for being a reckless princess, you have the nasty habit of running off."

Her nose wrinkled and she spat at the ocean. "Piss off; I do what I please. I haven't sworn to steal my half-brother's sword from his dead fingers like you."

His brow twitched in annoyance. "Touché."

She huffed and glared at the water. "Go sniff after that bitch, if you're done talking. I'll be perfectly fine here."

He quirked a brow at her words, exhaling patiently; he sat down at her side, slightly surprising her. "Like hell I'll believe that."

She sent him a glare from the corner of her eye; "Dogs don't believe in mating for life. Why am I any different from any other female you've mated with?" She bristled.

Sesshomaru pinched the bridge of his nose, a hollow groan escaping him. "You're not a dog; you're a wolf. And is that what you're upset about, some human woman that proclaimed her love for me?" He saw her visibly bristle at the reminder.

"I'm not answering that." Getsu ground out between grinding teeth.

He reached to take her chin in his thumb and middle finger's grip, forcing her to stare at him; her silver eyes were defiant and pissy, an underlying sense that if he didn't have her this close she would've kicked his ass into the ground and thrown him over the edge of the cliff.  
"Getsu, I'm not leaving until you answer me." He exhaled patiently.

She flinched at his statement, her silver eyes looking away from his gold stare that bore into her skull. "Naraku took my family from me; he took my home from me: you're the only one I haven't lost. And it terrifies me to even think you'll leave my side." Her voice cracked. "I love you, Sesshomaru. And all I ask is that you please don't leave me."

Sesshomaru allowed her to see the flinch that made his cheek twinge at hearing her sound on the verge of tears, his thumb and middle finger relaxing to let his hands take her cheeks and cup them gently. "It frightens me too, to think you'd be gone the moment I turn my back. I love you too, Getsu."

Getsu sniffed, shaking her head fervently in his grip before she tugged on the collar of his _kosode_ and crushed her lips to his eagerly.

He smiled happily for the first time in… well, he couldn't remember; he released her cheeks to let his hands travel to her small waist, letting her lean onto his chest. She grinned softly and curled her fingers in his silver hair, hugging his neck.

_I do love you, you stubborn and reckless princess; and I swear that I'll protect you_.

* * *

A frown crossed her face.

He glanced back at her, seeing her arms were folded; he exhaled. "You could go find Jaken and Rin," he pointed out.

She rolled her eyes and punched him gently. "Nice try, but I'm staying; you should know better than to think I'm going to turn tail and run now, love." She rebutted, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono top.

He smirked and huffed quietly. "I figured you would say that. Such a stubborn princess." He chided softly.

She giggled, pricking her ears and looking past him to see they were back on the ledge overlooking the sea, only several hundred yards away from where they were hours ago. Her silver eyes looked up –not without seeing InuYasha, Kagome, and Shippo standing yards away from where they were—at the sight of that Sara woman riding atop a giant crow demon. "I knew there was something rank about her," she said nonchalantly.

"So you're the one behind this; Sesshomaru! _Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!_" InuYasha rushed him, clawed hand raised.

Getsu exhaled patiently, watching him catch his wrist, his claws' poison burning into the flesh of his wrist; "honestly," she grumbled, glaring up at the crow demon. "Oi, can I?" She hollered boredly.

"By all means," Sesshomaru nodded, staring blankly at his brother's grimacing face before he tossed him away.

"Lord Sesshomaru, hold him steady for me!" The woman Sara cried as the demon she rode dipped closer to the ground.

She twisted on her left heel, right foot and fist extending to the crow demon's direction and sending a wide jet of blue fire screaming at the oversized bird.

The woman yelped slightly and dropped to the ground, landing gently, the Tetsusaiga held in both hands. "L-Lord Sesshomaru!" She said in surprise.

Getsu huffed and made to draw her katana.

"Stay your hand, Getsu," he ordered, perking her ears; she shot him a glance and obeyed, moving to his side.

"Why you…" The half-breed growled behind them as he made to get to his feet.

"Stop you're barking, InuYasha." He silenced him, glancing at him before returning his gaze to the woman. "This woman has nothing to do with you."

Sara bowed respectfully to him, presenting the Tetsusaiga. "Please accept this; use this sword to put an end to InuYasha's life."

Getsu bristled, huffing again. _This corpse is seriously demented_, she thought.

"You're under the wrong impression: did you honestly think what I wanted was for you to steal his sword for me?" Sesshomaru asked, seeing her widen her eyes slightly.

"You don't?" She rasped in disbelief.

"I will not accept help defeating InuYasha, especially from the likes of someone like **you**." He replied stiffly, turning to walk away.

"Please don't go; Lord Sesshomaru!" The woman cried desperately; the wolf demon went to his side, sparing her a glance, her lip curling, before he hooked his arm around her hips and spirited away.

:::::::oOo:::::::

He looked at the tree standing before him.

She tapped her chin with her left index's knuckle, exhaling. "So that's how she knew you." She moved away from his side to circle the tree, imagining him sitting there, just as he'd been when they first met; a frown crossed her brow. "Talk about persistent. Makes what I did by asking to stay with you seem like a cakewalk." She thought aloud.

He recalled seeing her silver eyes in that familiar stubborn light when they first met, his eyes softening; he looked at his left arm, remembering the pain of losing his limb that was now a ghost to him. _It's as if everything changed the moment we met_, he thought.

"Do you remember now; that day, long ago, you were leaning against a tree, recovering from your injuries." The voice of that woman spoke behind him. "It's still so vivid; I'll never forget the sight of you, that day..."

She leaned against the tree, arms crossing over her chest, keeping one stony silver eye fixated on the persistent corpse, vaguely listening to her retell her story. _Now that I think of it, I _**did**_ hear a flute playing that day_, she thought, listening to him mention something about the flute before she removed it from her kimono to begin playing for him.

Her ears twitched and she bristled, moving to his side loyally, her hand touching his wrist. "I was under the impression that she's dead," she whispered.

He glanced at her and nodded slightly, seeing her nose wrinkle in response before she huffed, standing at his left.

She didn't like this woman one damn bit; if it were up to her, this wench would be back in her grave.

She came forward with the Tetsusaiga in hand. "Lord Sesshomaru, at least take this as an acknowledgement of all that I have done for you." She requested softly, taking on that monotonous tone again.

Her silver eyes sharpened at seeing the red glint flash in the woman's eyes; she bristled, an involuntary growl rising in her throat.

"So **that** is your true form." He guessed, pricking her ears.

"What do you mean, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked in innocence.

"There you are, wench!" A bark sounded, making the three look to see the half-demon had followed them, leaping at the woman. "_Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!_" He made to attack before his brother blocked him, swiping at his shoulder and forcing him to draw back.

He gripped his shoulder gingerly, glaring at him. "It figures that you'd protect her, Sesshomaru!"  
"Don't lay a finger on her," he growled, Tokijin in hand; he glanced at his mate, seeing her nod slightly. "She's none of your concern, InuYasha."

"Oh yeah, like I'll believe that; _Blades of Blood!_" InuYasha snarled, sending four shots of red energy at them; both yokai ducked, the woman's right arm being hit.

At least six various demons flew out of her torn limb, coiling around the half-breed. A seventh demon poked out, ready to be fired. "Curse you, InuYasha; I will send you to your miserable death!"

Sesshomaru stood between Sara and InuYasha, surprising the woman.

"L-Lord Sesshomaru?" Sara balked.

"I've seen enough of your vulgar form, woman," he swung the Tokijin down on her directly down the center, making her cry out in pain before transforming into a dark-skinned demon that cackled.

"Getsu," he signaled her, holding onto the sword's hilt as more demons spouted out from the main demon like a faucet.

Blue fire screamed at the demons, a glint of silver appearing before the demon's right arm was severed at the shoulder; it cried out loudly in pain, the right arm sent flying in the air before a spout of blue fire incinerated it on target, the demon sinking to its knees.

"Y-you damn wench!" It rushed at her as she turned her gaze to see it running forward at her; her silver eyes narrowed.

"_**Getsu**, **GET** **DOWN**!_" A wide shot from the Tetsusaiga screamed at the demon, destroying it as she leaped out of the way.

She reappeared at his side, smoke rising from his right palm as he looked down at it. "Sesshomaru," she began, widening her eyes as she realized that he was the one who used the Tetsusaiga, destroying the demon that had possessed that Sara woman. She quieted and took a strip of cloth from inside her kimono, tying it around his hand gingerly. "Reckless dog," she scolded in a grumble, seeing him look at her and smirk softly.

He shook his head a little, walking past her to the remains of the woman; she narrowed her eyes and huffed, noting that the rest of the demons had been destroyed.

"Getsu, what the hell were you playing at, just standin' there doing nothing…! **Ow**!" InuYasha demanded, yelping when her fist sailed into his nose, sucker-punching him.

"If you're referring to my burning those demons with my wolf fire as '_doing_ _nothing_', then you really need to open your eyes **better**, InuYasha." Getsu cracked her knuckles absently, ignoring the death glare the half-breed shot at her as she walked past him towards his human comrades; she smiled lightly and bowed slightly to them. "Thank you for helping purge the demon swarm. I'm sorry if there was any confusion on our part." She said, straightening.

Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo shared a brief look before the priestess-reincarnate smiled back. "You're welcome! And it's no trouble; if anything, we know how those two are." She waved it off.

"Oi, Kagome, don't go accepting her apology!" InuYasha barked annoyedly at the girl, stomping forward.

"**Sit boy**!" Kagome barked; a loud '_wham_' sounded as he was forced onto the ground face-first, a muffled yelp escaping him.

Getsu giggled, smirking at him. "I owe you one," she mused, pricking her ears as the woman had finally left this world; she sighed. _It's about time_, she thought.

"We're going, Getsu." Sesshomaru beckoned, looking over his shoulder at the wolf demon.

"Coming!" Getsu smiled lightly, waving at the humans before she trotted to his side, stepping on the half-breed's head as she passed, hearing him swear at her purposeful-stomp.

Both wolf and dog demon disappeared further into the forest.

* * *

"So how's your hand?"

He looked at his right hand, pulling the strip of cloth from the bandaged palm to see the skin had healed; he nodded. "Better." He looked at her and smiled slightly. "I'm surprised you didn't try healing my hand, back there."

She blushed and then huffed, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "Are you nuts; that bitch hadn't exactly left this world, yet. Besides, you're a big boy; you can handle a little burn." She quipped, slipping one hand free to poke his chest with an index finger.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes, clasping her hand and kissing her, taking her by surprise; she blushed again, watching him pull back, a smirk on his lips.

"Sesshomaru," Getsu began quietly, letting him drag her by the hand closer to where he'd left their remaining companions. "What was that for?"

"Spontaneity never hurt once in a while; besides, I felt I owed you that for this little excursion."

A smile spread across her lips; she shook her head softly. "On that topic, you're not off the hook just yet; keep that in mind." She teased, pulling him back to kiss him hard, lovingly, taking him by surprise in response for earlier; he stroked her hair, a growl of displeasure escaping him when she pushed away, a playful light in her silver eyes.

She kissed his nose, seeing him wrinkle it, making her laugh; she sighed and trotted ahead of him. "Rin!" She waved as they came upon their companions.

"Getsu-onee, welcome back!" The girl beamed, sliding off the dragon's back to trot to meet her, letting the wolf demon lift her into her arms before she crawled to ride on her shoulders habitually, hugging her neck. "Where did you go, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked him as he appeared shortly after the wolf demon.

"Nowhere," he replied offhandedly, leading them in the opposite direction, the dragon following him shortly, wolf demon carrying the girl at his heels until she came to his side loyally, the imp following them.

"Milord, forgive me but… **Lord Sesshomaru**~!" The imp exclaimed in a sing-song voice that annoyed both _yokai_.

**_THWACK_**.

**_THWACK_**.

* * *

A/N: _as promised, there's chap 17, centered for ninety-seven percent on episodes 133-134 of the anime, with the remaining three percent spent on the next step in the relationship Getsu and Sesshomaru are in. i tried to put in some action scenes into this chap, but there was a bit of alot of relationship shit to work out betw our lovebirds, so if i failed in balancing both elements out in this chapter, i apologize. /bows_

_elsewise, the next chap(s) will revolve around the third movie, __**Swords of an Honorable Ruler**__, so if you're as excited about that as much as i am, __**please **__**review**__! thanks~ _


	18. Storm, Part One: Prologue

A/N: _**AND SO IT STARTS**~ lol where we last left off, Sesshomaru had a blast from the past (quite literally) in the form of a needy human woman named Sara who was willing to give up the majority of her soul/body to a horde of demons to steal the Tetsusaiga from InuYasha and give it to Sesshomaru so long as he acknowledged her love for him in return. well this didn't sit well with our heroine and it's ironic enough that i contemplated having her kill the wench for being so damn clingy. but i digress~ ;D anywho, now -as promised- i am covering the third InuYasha movie, **Swords of an Honorable Ruler**. hope you enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "**Storm**" by **Yoshida** **Brothers****__  
_

* * *

_**Chapter 18: Storm - Part One: Prologue**_

It felt like something was biting at her cheek.

She smacked her cheek, making his ears twitch as he looked up from having polished the Tokijin with her kit, both _yokai_ watching a small speck flop down onto her outstretched palm.

Her silver eyes blinked a couple of times, looking at the white-haired form of a flea. "No way… Ryoka?" She gasped, seeing the flea wobble to her feet before her big eyes looked up at her mistress.

"Lady Getsuei!" The flea greeted, bowing before the wolf demon.

She smiled and let the flea crawl onto her finger. "What're you doing here; better yet, how are you still around? I thought everyone had died in the fire…?" She asked as the female flea straightened and held onto her clawed finger.

The flea chuckled. "It is as miraculous to me as it is you, Getsuei-sama. And yet here I am! I'm very glad to have found the last heiress of the Western Wolf Clan!" She said, crocodile tears in her eyes, making her mistress sweatdrop.

"Likewise, Ryoka." She smiled lightly.

The flea Ryoka looked at her companion, gasping. "L-Lady Getsuei, I was not aware you knew of Lord Sesshomaru!" She squeaked, making both noble demons' ears twitch.

Getsu tilted her head to one side. "How do you know Sesshomaru? You were the flea entrusted to my father, not Sesshomaru's…" She began.

"I am acquaintances with Myoga, the flea that served the great Inu no Taishou. Though it has been centuries since I've seen that cowardly parasite," Ryoka said with distaste towards said flea's mannerisms.

"That sounds like Myoga." Sesshomaru muttered, seeing the flea nod vigorously in agreement.

"So what made you seek me out after all these years, anyway, Ryoka?" Getsu asked curiously.

"Oh that! I've had bad premonitionary feelings lately, Getsuei-sama; something is going to befall these lands, and soon! Even now, it's giving me chills… and not the good kind!" The flea shuddered, hugging herself.

Both _yokai_ shared a look with each other before looking at the shivering flea. "Something bad?" The she-wolf guessed.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The bright pink light coming from the forest in the distance had her nerves tensed.

She bristled slightly, pricking her ears as his sword trembled.

"What is it, Tensaiga?" He wondered of the heirloom fang at his hip.

The girl looked at their leader. "Is something the matter, Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked innocently.

A derisive smirk made his lips twitch upward, earning a flinch from the toad imp.

"Getsuei-sama, there's the source! That is what I've been feeling!" The flea barked from sitting on her shoulder, tugging at a strand of black hair.  
She nodded slightly, feeling the hairs on her arms and neck rise at the sensation, the flea's earlier foreboding words ringing in her ears.  
_  
Whatever it is that Ryoka is saying gave her bad vibes, it doesn't smell right_, she thought.

* * *

_'Are you sure you want to go down there?' His gold eyes were concerned, only allowing her to see it (as he was wont to do when they were around the others)._

_She'd smiled lightly, waving it off. 'Yeah, I mean, Ryoka told me the light was coming from the forest, and then just now with that twister… I'm gonna be fine, don't worry!' She'd tugged on his collar, kissing him lovingly, before pulling away to smile again._

_He'd sighed resignedly and stroked her cheek, his thumb stroking her cheekbone. 'Find me as soon as you gather the information you need,' he'd instructed softly, smiling for her._

Rain dripped softly onto her head as she spirited past the trees, skidding to a halt just short of the outskirts of the location where the twister had come from.

The remains of demonic aura hung in the air, making her nose wrinkle; she waved at the air absently with a hand, striding quietly down the main path that led into what used to be the village, lowering her hand to rest on the hilt of her katana.

"Well, Ryoka, I don't suppose you know who or what caused this?" She wondered, feeling the flea vassal poke her head out from the covering her ebony hair gave.

The flea sniffed the air with her carrot-looking nose and shook her head. "Not in the slightest, Lady Getsuei. I apologize," she said, bowing her head.

She smiled softly and felt her retreat into the cover of her hair. "It's alright, I was just asking."  
She continued to walk, lifting her left index's knuckle to her chin thoughtfully, her right arm sliding to her ribs. _Whatever did this, or whoever did this, their stink is rank with demonic aura. Or rather, the blow they used to decimate this village stinks… What force under the heavens could've done this?_

A familiar scent caught her nose; her ears twitched.

She turned to move towards a ruined hut, slightly surprised that the doorway's frame had remained standing, albeit a large chunk of the top board was hanging limply by a few splinters of wood; she entered the remains of the hut, sniffing the air and looking down at the wood that covered the floor of the hut, seeing something that caught her eye.

The rain was slowly gaining.

She crouched on her knees, scraping the claws of her right index and thumb over the dark smudge, seeing the smudge cake her claws; she lifted the digits to her nose, sniffing: her eyes widened.  
_  
InuYasha?_

"Getsuei-sama, what is it?" Ryoka asked hesitantly, poking her head from the folds of her kimono collar.

Getsu straightened, wiping the scent away on her _hakama_. "Nothing," she whispered, turning about to trace the scent back to the forest where he had run out of, her bare feet disturbing small puddles of rain and making the water soak her soles as she spirited in the direction his scent led her.

"M-Milady, what's the rush!?" The flea cried, clinging to the inner folds of her kimono collar for dear life, the rain practically drowning her as her mistress ran.  
_  
InuYasha, why did your scent come up here? Why did your scent mix with the stink of that demonic aura? What the hell is going on? ...**InuYasha**!_

:::::::oOo::::::::

The scent stopped short of a wooden portal.

She skidded to a halt, panting softly, ducking a little to grip her knees; her black hair fell down her shoulders gracefully before she straightened, tossing her hair back, silver eyes looking about the small clearing.

Her eyes fell on the portal, widening a little.  
_  
The Bone Eater's Well?_ Had he been in the Modern World before coming back home: did he bring that power with him from the girl's world?

The sound of jangling rings pricked her ears from behind; she looked over her shoulder at the shadows of the trees. Her fingers sank to the hilt of her katana, coiling around the handle.

"Is that..?" The voice of a man wondered.

"Getsu-onee?" A small boy's voice spoke behind her, pricking her ears again; her silver eyes widened. "It is; **Getsu-onee**!" The boy cried as he rushed out from the shade of the trees to leap into her arms as she turned about.

She met the aqua-colored eyes of Shippo the kitsune; "Shippo!" She beamed, hugging the young fox _yokai_ gently, glad to see a familiar face.

"Getsu, what brings you here?" The monk Miroku asked as she let the kitsune down, moving into the shade of the trees, shaking her head of water and sitting down with him at noticing that he was holding a pink parasol.

"Sesshomaru and I saw the light coming from the well, earlier, and I came to sniff around; so far I don't have a lot of leads. I just have InuYasha's scent; that's what led me here, to the well." She replied, her voice quiet by the time she finished telling him, silver eyes lowering to her folded legs.

The kitsune's ears twitched and he folded his arms, a scowl crossing his young face. "Stupid InuYasha, I don't get why he had to bring back that sword with him!" He sniffed, perking her ears.

Getsu tilted her head to one side. "What sword?" She asked.

"Myoga called it 'Sounga', the sword once wielded by InuYasha and Sesshomaru's father." Miroku answered, seeing her silver eyes register and then widen slightly.  
_Their father's sword..?_ She lowered her gaze, placing a knuckle to her chin in thought. _But that attack, whatever attack he used while wielding that sword, it doesn't sound like an attack his father would have performed on purpose… Does it?_

Shippo's plop in her lap stirred her from her thoughts, her silver eyes meeting his curious aqua gaze. "Getsu-onee, are you okay?" He asked hesitantly.

Getsu smiled kindly at the kitsune, ruffling his hair. "I'm fine, thanks Shippo." She said.

He smiled widely. "Good, I'm glad! Getsu-onee, can't you stay with us until Kagome comes back?" He asked, perking her ears.

"Shippo, surely Sesshomaru is worried for his lover's safe return…" The monk began to remind.

She smiled lightly. "I don't mind; besides, I can track his scent in the morning. Sesshomaru can handle one night without me," she agreed.

"Yay!" The kitsune beamed, snuggling into her and making her laugh softly.

She met the monk's brown eyes and shrugged innocently, silver eyes saying '_maybe it'll help him sleep_.'

He exhaled patiently, looking at the kitsune that looked very content snuggled up to her as if she were his big sister… or a mother figure.

* * *

A/N: _sorry if this chap is so short, compared to the other chaps ^^; i was going out-of-town when i submitted this chap's rough draft so i just now got back to edit it and make it look purty.. lol SO~ now the pieces are being put into place; just what is the sword known as Sounga? and how powerful is it that it was only wielded by a great demon like Sesshomaru's father, the Great Inu no Taisho?_

_**review please**; thanks~_


	19. Storm, Part Two: Rise

A/N: _where we last left off, Getsu was visited by her father's vassal flea, Ryoka; the flea Ryoka came bearing a warning that something bad was going to go down. no sooner had Ryoka visited her late master's daughter, the sword of Hell, the Sounga that was once wielded by both InuYasha and Sesshomaru's father, the great Inu no Taisho, came out of the Bone Eater's Well with a full-demon-transformed InuYasha in possession. now what's going to happen: will Getsu track down InuYasha before Sesshomaru does? and just how powerful **IS** the Sounga? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "**Storm**" by **Yoshida Brothers**/ "**Rise**" by **Skillet****_

* * *

**_Chapter 19: Storm - Part Two: Rise_**

"Kagome!"

She groaned and rubbed her head gingerly from having slept on the ground, looking up through one open silver eye to see the aforementioned priestess-girl step out from the confines of the well, her large yellow backpack slung over her shoulders and a good-natured smile on her face.

"Getsu-chan? What're you doing here?" The girl asked the wolf demon as she shuffled to her feet, a loud yawn escaping her as she stretched her arms to the canopies of the trees, muscles popping softly from sleep.

She rubbed her neck with a clawed hand. "It's a long story; I was tracking InuYasha's scent through here when I ran into Miroku and Shippo last night, so I camped out here with them to wait for you." She explained sleepily.

Kagome blinked her brown eyes before she nodded, her face softening. "I'm glad you're here." A lightbulb turned on in her head. "Wait a minute, what about Sesshomaru? Isn't he worried about where you are?" She asked with a tilt of her head.

Getsu rolled her shoulders gingerly, shaking her head of water like a dog.  
"He is, yeah, but he trusts me enough to let me wander for a bit; I said I'd return to him as soon as I got the info I needed, so I'll be heading off in a while to go sniff him out." She shrugged.  
_  
So that explains why she didn't leave last night_, the monk thought, watching the kitsune hop into her arms again before he scrambled to ride her shoulders. "Regardless, that means you can help us out for a bit; come on, it won't do us any good to just stand around here." He declared, deciding to be the voice of direction and leading the way away from the well back to the open.

:::::::oOo::::::::

She tilted her head to one side as her flea vassal pulled annoyedly on the ear of the other flea, Myoga; a sweatdrop formed on her brow. _It's a wonder Ryoka survived that damn fire_, she thought.

"Um, Getsu-onee, is this flea yours?" The kitsune asked the older female, looking at her.

She nodded, smiling patiently. "Ryoka, my father's remaining vassal. It was as surprising to me as you lot that she's so domineering," she said in something akin to an apology.

The wind whistled softly, catching at stray locks of ebony hair; she looked off to the distance, frowning slightly. _I doubt he's found anything either_, she mused.

"Is something the matter, Getsu?" The demon slayer asked, the monk and priestess-girl pausing as well to see their fourth companion had stopped walking.

She looked at them and smiled, waving her hand absently. "No, everything's okay." She moved forward to place the kitsune in the basket of the girl's "bicycle", straightening after ruffling his hair in a sisterly way. "I think I should go find Sesshomaru, before he does something stupid." She flashed a light smile at the trio of humans and then turned to walk away. "See you guys later!" She declared, winking before she took off, spiriting away into the forest.

"Milady, is something troubling you?" Ryoka asked, poking her head out from the folds of the demon's kimono collar.

"Sesshomaru, he'll want to know what I found out; if the Sounga is that powerful, then I need to warn him before he comes into contact with InuYasha." _Which is most likely bound to happen sometime soon_, Getsu inwardly added with a wince, picking up the pace and willing her bare feet to go faster.

His scent and the girl's familiar scent hung in the air as she neared a hillside path; she smiled and grunted softly, sprinting and leaping to land on a ledge above the one she spotted her companions walking on, rocks dropping down on their ledge, one in particular hitting the imp on the head.

"Ow! W-who dares strike a servant of Lord Sesshomaru!?" The toad cried shrilly, a large vein twitching on his brow as his bulging yellow eyes were narrowed in annoyance.

She rolled her eyes at his words, exhaling. _Yep, same old Jaken_, she thought with a shake of her head.

He didn't look back as she landed on their ledge, one foot stomping on the imp's small head and making him yelp before his face met the slightly wet ground. "Did you find anything?" He only asked as she ruffled the girl's hair and smiled before trotting dutifully forward to sidle up to his right.

"A bit. First of all, the weapon that created that twister goes by the name Sounga. Second, your brother's scent was mixed with the wreckage of the village Sounga caused." She informed, arms behind her head leisurely.

He almost halted, gold eyes sharpening, before they turned to her. "'Sounga'?" He repeated softly.

She nodded. "It wasn't forged from one of your father's fangs, apparently; both the Tetsusaiga and Tensaiga were, but the Sounga… Its stink is worse than that of the Tokijin when it was first forged. To be honest, the demonic aura around that sword reeks." She elaborated in the same tone.

He nodded, bringing a knuckle to his chin in thought. _The Sounga… it's surprising to hear that that fang has reemerged after only two hundred years, so why did it show up now?_ _And moreso, why was it allowed to pass to InuYasha's hands, for that matter? He's only a witless half-breed_… He wondered, brow furrowing.

"Sesshomaru," she began softly, pricking his ears and stirring him from his brooding.

"What is it?" He asked quietly.

Getsu stroked his cheek, smiling at his gold eyes and seeing his gaze soften, a small smile overtaking his lips. "Here," she offered the wrist guard of her left hand to him, seeing him blink in slight confusion.

"What's this for?" Sesshomaru asked quietly, taking the guard from her hand and slipping it onto his right hand.

"If I know you, and at this point in time I do, a little precaution never hurt." She replied with a light smile, slipping both hands into the folds of her kimono sleeves.

His brow twitched and he looked away. "I am **not** as brash as that idiot half-breed, so I don't understand why you gave me your wrist guard." He sniffed.  
She rolled her eyes and smirked. "You're welcome, love," she sighed.

He pouted; she giggled.

* * *

_'Getsu, stay back with Rin. I will handle this,' he'd instructed._

_She'd pouted, exhaling and scritching the back of her head. 'Fine, fine; just don't get in over your head.' She'd shot him a scowl. He'd smirked and tousled her hair, cupping her cheek. 'Wait for me,' he'd urged softly._

The wind blew softly around them, doing nothing to ease the tension that fumigated the air and threatened to invade her keen nose.

Fine hairs rose on the back of her neck and her arms; one hand of hers was holding fast to the girl's kosode collar and the other was gripping the hilt of her katana.

A rushing of feet sounded before they clashed; the wind picked up around her, a sign their auras clashed just as hard as their blades had.

She bristled involuntarily at the clashing of auras, watching them disengage and then clash again, forcing another bristle from the she-wolf; this repeated a second time before a dust cloud formed around them, pricking her ears as they both leaped away and sailed at where they –that is to say, Getsu, Rin, Jaken, and a cowering Ryoka—were hiding.

Both imp and girl yelped in surprise before she grabbed them both by the scruff and spirited out of the way, watching them clash again and again, sprinting away with Sesshomaru giving chase to InuYasha.

"Let's go," she grumbled, setting the imp and girl down.

"B-but Getsuei-sama, you heard Lord Sesshomaru!" Ryoka squeaked in her ear, yelping as she plucked the flea from the collar of her kimono and placed her on the imp's hat, securing her katana.

"I know, but the way this is going, God knows what'll happen between those two idiots. Rin, stay close to Jaken, okay?" Getsu replied, smiling at the girl, tousling her hair.

"Getsu-onee, please be careful!" Rin nodded, the wolf demon's claws gently running through her hair a second time before she nodded and then took off after the battling brothers.

:::::::oOo:::::::::

A sharp blast shook the ground.

She skidded to a halt at finding them, widening her eyes in awe as the great fang was held in his right hand's grip.  
_  
Damn, not even her wrist guard stopped the barrier from burning my hand_, he thought, grimacing and allowing a small grunt of pain to escape him as he sank to his knees.

"Idiot," she growled, pricking her ears as the half-breed lunged at him; she flew forward, katana drawn and clashing with his, sparks flying in the air.

His gold eyes widened in surprise before narrowing. "Fool, get away from him! **Getsu**!" He shouted, his call falling on deaf ears as she bared her teeth and held her weight against the half-breed.

"Snap out of it, InuYasha! It's me, Getsu! **InuYasha**!" She barked, glowering into his blood-red eyes that narrowed dangerously at her, his fangs bared as thundering snarls rang out from between his clenched teeth; her silver eyes darted to the purple vine-like bindings coiled around his right arm, a growl rumbling in her throat as the stench was almost suffocating her.

'_He's not going to listen to a weak wolf like you, wench!_' A low voice cackled, the gem on the hilt of the Sounga glowing as the sword spoke.

Getsu felt tears begin to well in her eyes before she shut them tightly; "forgive me, InuYasha," she groaned, opening her eyes as her aura kicked into overdrive, forcing him away with sheer will.

He drew back with a growl, almost doubling over in pain that radiated from his right arm.

'_Blood, I must have more blood; give me a live sacrifice!_' Sounga roared, the half-breed's red eyes snapping open before he spirited past her at a new target; she whirled around to see he was running for both Rin and Jaken.

"**DON'T DO IT**!" She shrieked, rushing after him as the tears fell down her cheeks. "**_NO, INUYASHA_**_!_"

"Damn it! **GETSU**!" He shouted again, grunting as he scrambled to his feet and sprinted after both his brother and the woman he loved, the poison in his claws making them glow green as he drew closer to his brother.

"**SIT BOY**!" The girl cried, pricking her ears and forcing her to skid to a halt as the beads around his neck glowed brightly.

'_What is this!?_' The sword snarled in anger.

"**_SIT_**_!_" She crashed into him, arms wrapping around his shoulders.

He yanked her back by the scruff, back turned from the blast that hummed loudly in her ears as he wound his arms around her. She buried her face into his stole's soft fur, eyes shut tight.

The wind whipped around them, making her dig her claws into his back, before it subsided, much to her relief; her silver eyes opened slowly, looking to see the fur of his stole met her eyes before they lifted to stare up at his slightly tired gold orbs, seeing relief and annoyance swirl behind his stoic stare.

"Your hand," she began quietly, slipping out of his arms to take his right hand and examine it carefully, catching the slight bite he took of his cheek out of the corner of her eye, seeing a fading burn mark mar his palm; she frowned softly, miffed that her wrist guard had done little to prevent him from getting burned by the barrier around the Tetsusaiga.

"It's just a scratch," he shrugged, seeing her lift her gaze to frown up at him, worry swimming in her eyes; his shoulders rolled slightly in calmness before he stroked her cheek. "You're such a fool, rushing in like that."

Getsu smiled wryly, letting him release her cheek to go retrieve his Tokijin, slipping it beneath his sash. Sesshomaru nodded to her, beckoning she follow; she moved to sidle up to his left, sheathing her katana.

"Wait!" InuYasha declared behind them, making both wolf and dog demons glance back at him to see he'd gotten back to his senses, scowling at both older _yokai_. "I'll destroy Sounga; I don't need any interference from you. Either one of you."

"You lack what it takes." His brother retorted simply, pricking his ears.

"**What**!?" He spat.

He glanced back at him sternly. "You should be grateful to the girl for saving you; let's go." He nodded to her again.

She spared his younger brother a sympathetic smile before following shortly, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

* * *

A/N: _ugh, sunnuvabitch my allergies are trying to choke me.. Dx **EITHER WAY**~ now both Sesshomaru and Getsu know just how evil the Sounga really is, but it can at least be forced away by the power of a priestess, considering it took Kagome's '**SIT'** command to snap InuYasha out of being possessed by the sword. anyway, that's all i'll put for now. _

_**review please**! thanks~_


	20. Storm, Part Three: Not Gonna Die

A/N: _so where we last left off, we witnessed the power of the beads of subjugation (IE: the enchanted beads InuYasha wears that tie him to Kagome) overcome the evil known as Sounga. will InuYasha defeat Sounga; will Sesshomaru? who will defeat this evil? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_*ref for the second half of the title - "**Not Gonna Die**" by **Skillet****_

* * *

**_Chapter 20: Storm, Part Three: Not Gonna Die_**

His gold eyes lifted up to the moon hanging high, looking as if he was pleading with the great face for an answer.

A frown crossed her brow; she unfolded her arms from the confines of her sleeves, a soft sigh escaping her, as she moved to his side.

He stirred from his brooding thoughts to feel her gentle clawed hands looking at his right hand, examining it, silver eyes noting that his body had regenerated at the normal speed for a demon as powerful as he was; his gold eyes softened at seeing her caring gestures.

"Still pissed with me?" She wondered softly, pricking his ears.

He shook his head, his left hand taking both of her hands in his grip and squeezing out of habit. "Not as much as earlier. Of course you're still the reckless princess I know, but that makes it difficult for me to protect you." He mused, seeing her ears twitch.

She blushed, sniffing and keeping her eyes down humbly. "Get used to it, because I'm not one of those princesses that's just waiting to be rescued. I hate being the damsel," she grumbled the last bit.

He smirked a little, releasing her hands of one to use it to tip her chin up with his index finger, forcing her eyes to meet his. "And that's precisely what makes you different from other women. Aside from the idea that you could probably kill me if you so wished." He said quietly.

Her cheeks warmed again before a wry look crossed her pretty face, forcing a smirk to twitch her lips upward. "'Idea' nothing." She rebutted in a soft growl.

He quirked a brow, releasing her chin to fold his arms. "Really now?" He asked, his tone teasing; recent events had made him brood over said events, but something as enticing as teasing his mate seemed the best remedy to ease his mind.

She smirked wryly, flashing a fang in her expression. "Damn right," she growled, stepping back a foot and lifting a hand, taunting him to make the first move with a gesture.

He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, an eye-roll and patient exhale showing, before he lunged at her, arms trying to snatch at her small waist; she dodged effortlessly, leaping behind him before she crashed into his chest.

Both wolf and dog demons scuffled until he had landed on his back with a soft grunt, her clawed hands gripping his shoulders as she pinned him to the ground, a growl escaping her throat; he blinked past strands of silver hair that got in his eyes to hear her laugh softly from her position ontop of him, seeing her smirk widely in triumph.

He rolled his eyes and sighed in reluctant defeat, head drooping onto the ground beneath him as she smiled like a proud alpha.

Were they both in their beast forms, he realized, she would've first had his tail between her teeth and second he would've mounted her and made her howl for him (which was something he loved to hear pass from her lips more than he cared to admit aloud).

Getsu sighed and limply plopped down on him, stirring him from his thoughts, resting her cheek on the soft fur of his stole.

Sesshomaru smirked slightly, his hands encircling her waist digging the claws of one hand into her back and the other lifting to stroke her hair.

He sighed, "Just because your breed is the superior between us doesn't mean you've won permanently."

"Swallow your pride for once, fluff-ball." She grumbled into his stole. _Damn this thing is warm_, she thought.

"'Fluff-ball'?" His ears twitched.

She shrugged innocently, looking at him and kicking her feet in the air out of boredom, "You call me 'princess'."

A sweatdrop formed on his brow. "That's because you _are_ one…?"

She rolled her eyes and pecked his lips lightly, rolling off him to lie on her back at his side, arms behind her head used as a pillow, "I don't like being referred to like that. Never have."

He cocked his head to one side, looking at her. "It was your birthright, wasn't it? As the first born of your clan, the title basically comes along with your position." He reminded.

She sighed, eyes closed serenely. "It was, yeah. But I… I dunno. I guess being away from all that, away from the honorifics and formalities, has humbled me. I'm not sure, really; I never liked being called by my full name, at least not by someone other than my parents." She spoke the last bit in a voice soft enough to be a whisper.

He nodded, hearing her sigh as he let his gaze wander to the moon hanging high over them. "I don't understand why you don't like to be addressed by your full name; it's beautiful, your name." He mused quietly, pricking her ears.

Heat dashed across her cheeks; noone had ever complimented her for her name, not even Koga. She smiled sheepishly, allowing a weak chuckle. "Such a damn flatterer," she chided softly.

He smirked, turning to her. "Is it working?" He asked as his gold eyes looked oddly playful.

She stuck her tongue out. "Not even close!" She teased with a grin.

A groan escaped him before he rolled to pin her to the ground, claws digging into her shoulders, making a squeak of surprise escape her, her silver eyes widened slightly at his sudden move; he distinctly felt her legs spread a little out of instinctive compliance to his usual dominant manner, making a chuckle rumble in his chest.

"Still doubtful?" He wondered, his gold eyes smoldering as a grin threatened to overtake his lips.

She blushed and shuddered under him, feeling his left calf rub against her right thigh slightly, reminding her just how close he was to taking her. "Nope," she breathed.

He let the grin flash on his lips before it was replaced with a smirk, ducking his head slightly to kiss her forehead, feeling her shiver softly and let her hands drag absently down his arms, his lips moving down to capture hers slowly, deeply, making her tremble.

She curled her fingers in his silver hair that fell down his shoulders gracefully, instinct making her whimper softly in submission.

He chuckled softly; pleased that she was willing to whimper and let him know that she was ready and willing should he take her.

* * *

Her ears twitched as she saw he'd already beat them to the gravesite.

"Takemaru of Setsuna; the Sounga chose that vermin as his host?" He wondered with distaste in his tone, scowling at the grave maker.

She wrinkled her nose and covered it with her sleeve. _There's ogre stink here too_, she thought, silver eyes narrowing: and a **dead** **one**,too. Nothing could ever make the stink of ogre fade, not even rain.

He slid the Tokijin from his sash, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Getsu, stay back." He ordered, pricking her ears.

She nodded, smirking slightly at him. "You got it," she winked, leaping to stand atop the grave marker as he lunged.

The air tensed around them, becoming electric as the brothers clashed, reminiscent of previous battles she'd witnessed.  
_Those two never learn_, she mused with a wordless shake of her head.

She crossed her arms in the sleeves of her kimono, pricking her ears as he forced him back after slicing through several of the bamboo stalks around them, his aura pulsating dangerously around his body and eliciting a shiver from her.  
_  
Honestly_.

A wide swell of power flew forward at him from the Tetsusaiga.

"Watch out!" She barked, breaking her cool to look at him alertly; had InuYasha really gotten _this_ strong?

"**DRAGON** **STRIKE**!" Blue energy screamed at him, making the air howl and whirl around them.

"**BACKLASH** **WAVE**!" A wide twister tinged with yellow light rebutted the powerful attack, becoming swallowed up by the blue energy as she felt both his aura and power fluctuate then sharpen, forcing the half-breed to fly back.

Her eyes widened slightly as she caught the yellow barrier encase him, protecting him from getting the brunt of the attack; _did the Tetsusaiga protect him?_ She wondered.

"That was the most I could expect from my Tokijin; once again I've failed to kill him." He returned the sword to his hip, turning to walk away. "Getsu," he beckoned.

She looked at the dazed form of his brother before she hopped down from the grave marker to follow, flanking his left dutifully.

* * *

The air was rank with demonic aura.

Her nose wrinkled again, a fang showing in her grimace, keeping her pace at his left out of habit moreso than need.

"So you want to wield the Sounga; am I right?" She guessed, as she waved at the stink; the wind whirled softly around them, making her ebony hair dance.

"Correct. As much as I do want to keep you out of this battle, I know that you'll ignore me and jump head-first into the fray as well as argue your way into staying at my side even though it's clearly dangerous for you to do so." He replied.

A huff escaped her as she showed a fang in her grin. "You're learning. It's sweet of you to want to keep me away from the bloodshed, but I want to fight; you know that better than anyone. Besides, we're in this together, and I won't leave you." She crooned softly.

He mirrored her and also flashed a fang in his smirk. "You have grown up after all, considering you're a princess that only ever dances in the heat of battle." He remarked.

She chuckled and grinned again, cracking her knuckles as they drew ever closer to the oncoming armies that awaited them in the distance. "And you damn well know that I only dance for you."

He chuckled. "As it should be."

:::::::oOo::::::::

A loud snarl rang out; a wide stream of blue fire screamed at the rows of soldiers, incinerating them on contact.

She spirited past the dead corpses that stayed down after taking the brunt of her fire attack, perking her ears as at least ten of the soldiers roared and rushed her; she rushed them, leaping onto the head of the first soldier and doing a back-flip in the air before swinging her right leg in the air, her body twisting into a half circle, left palm opened wide to the back of her.

Blue fire danced across the marred battlefield, smoke rising softly into the sky that wept from the remains; she landed gently on one foot, panting softly as her shoulders shook a little from having used her wolf fire so much.

The aura of the citadel wasn't weakening her in the slightest; fatigue was what was killing her.

A growl rang out as a stray soldier lunged at the wolf demon; she propelled her right foot into his jaw in time, kicking him back, her left palm out as a spout of blue flame incinerated the corpse, straightening her posture as she panted again, shaking her head of water like a dog drying its fur, ears twitching as she looked at the looming citadel that looked so close yet very far.

She gripped the hilt of her katana, looking at the heirloom blade. _Father, I will fight; and I will fight for our clan's tarnished honor_, she thought, pricking her ears as an explosion went off in the area her mate was.  
_  
Sesshomaru!_ She sprinted to his side, perking up as at least twenty soldiers rushed her, getting in the way of her destination.

"Getsu, get back; **Dragon Strike**!" A blue energy screamed at the soldiers, decimating them instantly, the wind whipping around the battlefield as he stood there behind the destroyed corpses, stoic as ever, the Tokijin held in his right hand.

She smiled in relief, moving closer to his side. "Thanks for that," she said.

"Don't mention it. Are you alright?" He nodded, seeing her nod back.

His statement was true: It was in the heat of battle when she danced, and she was even more beautiful when she danced… especially for him.

"**_LORD SESSHOMARU HELP ME_**_!_" The girl's voice echoed across the land, pricking her ears.

"Rin!" She breathed, flying ahead of him towards the citadel, hearing him come to flank her before they reached the foot of the citadel's tower; he hooked his arm around her waist, leaping the distance up the side of the tower.

"Once we're inside the fortress, you cover my back; I'll lead the way in." He instructed as they leaped over the high wall, setting her down on her feet.

She nodded, pulling on his collar to kiss him lovingly, pulling away as he pressed his forehead to hers gently. "You got it," she smiled for him, seeing him return the smile.

He sliced clean through the soldiers that got in his way, feeling her power and aura fluctuate behind him as she incinerated the soldiers that chased them, incinerating them with a flick of her wrist or heel.

"Sesshomaru!" The voice of the half-breed pricked her ears as they both cut down the soldiers in the way, making her look over his shoulder at the sight of his half-brother.

"I'm surprised to see you here; you're lucky to be alive." He greeted coolly, feeling her burn another soldier before they huddled with the half-breed, backs pressed to each other's, her fists raised habitually.

"Sesshomaru, when this is over, we'll settle things between us for good." He vowed.

"Assuming that you survive, that is." Sesshomaru huffed.

"Just don't go getting killed by anyone else!" InuYasha growled.

"Honestly, I'm about to brain the both of you for being such idiots!" Getsu groaned annoyedly.

He grunted and swung down the Tetsusaiga, a wide yellow strike decimating the soldiers that blocked the path that led further into the recesses of the compound.

Sesshomaru hooked his left arm around her waist, making her yelp, before he leaped over the remaining soldiers' heads and continued in the direction the girl's scent led.

"Hey, hold it; that's plain dirty, Sesshomaru!" InuYasha exclaimed angrily from behind.

* * *

A/N: _the battle heats up! will Sesshomaru and Getsu get there in time to save Rin and Kagome? and will they finally put an end to the blasted Sounga? _

_**review please**__! thanks~_


	21. Storm, Part Four: Phenomenon

A/N: _where we last left off, we watched our heroine dance in the heat of battle with blue fire surrounding her enemies and felling them with a flick of her wrist. not much else to put aside from that, so enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**ref for the second half of the chap title - "__**Phenomenon**__" by __**Thousand Foot Krutch**__**_

* * *

_**Chapter 21: Storm - Part Four: Phenomenon**_

Sparks flew as their blades clashed.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried in relief.

Sesshomaru forced the man back, watching him jump back to land lightly on the floor on the other side of the room; Getsu smiled at him in relief, meeting the priestess-girl's brown eyes and nodding slightly.

"Getsu-onee!" The girl beamed as she embraced the wolf demon, feeling her squeeze her gently in relief. "I knew you'd come!" She said. "Yeah, and we're gonna get outta here soon, okay?" She smiled at her, tousling her hair.

He bared his blade defensively, glancing at the three females. "Go quickly, you'll only be in my way here; Getsu, take Rin and leave." He ordered stiffly.

"He's right, let's go, Rin," Kagome nodded, ushering the girl to her feet and away from the impending duel.

"Lord Sesshomaru, your sword!" Rin declared with innocent brown eyes, still clutching onto the sheathed Tensaiga.

"Hurry and go; **now**." Sesshomaru nodded, hearing her set the sword down on the floor before the trio moved further away.

"Don't let that slime show you up, Sesshomaru." Getsu requested, seeming to be the only voice he wanted to hear. "I'll find you." He replied, hearing her nod and throwing a look over his shoulder at her silver eyes to see they were warm and worried at the same time before she bowed her head in amendment, scooping the girl up in her arms and hurrying after the priestess-girl's lead.

* * *

_'Getsu-onee, be careful!' The girl pleaded, looking up at her with big brown eyes._

_She'd smiled gently, tousling her hair and looking at the priestess-girl. 'Look after her for me,' she'd requested._

_'I will; be careful out there.' She'd replied with a nod._

"_**NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN**!_" A wide jet of blue fire incinerated the number of soldiers moving closer to the gathered group, slightly surprising them; she landed lithely on the stairwell, straightening and huffing as she smirked at where the soldiers once were.

"Getsu?"

"Miss Getsu!"

She blinked as the soldiers kept coming; she clicked her tongue and growled, cracking her knuckles. "Well this is just fuckin' peachy," she grumbled.

"Getsu, please fall back." The monk declared, pricking her ears; she looked at him in surprise, seeing his hand lower to the beads coiled around his accursed hand.

"Miroku," she began softly.

He looked determined. "Hurry and go to your lover's aid; I'll handle the rest of them with my Wind Tunnel."

Her eyes widened slightly before she scowled at the soldiers that were getting closer to them and nodding. "Right, I'm on it." She replied, turning to sprint back inside the confines of the main building.

"Oi, wait up," the half-breed declared as she was rounding another stairwell, making her pause and look to see he was at her heels.

She smirked wryly, "were you that worried for me, InuYasha?" She teased.

He huffed and smirked back. "Get over yourself, princess; Kagome's in there remember? Besides, Miroku made me leave too," he replied.

She nodded, glancing at his ripped arm and reaching to place a palm on the injury; he blinked before growling softly when she mended his arm, gold eyes meeting her silver ones as she retracted her hand. "You're welcome." She replied quietly, turning to sprint forward.

He looked at his arm, feeling that it was back to full force, before he hurried at her heels.

::::::oOo:::::::

"Take the ogre, I've got him," she barked over her shoulder, sprinting ahead of him up the stairs to the room she could hear swords clashing.  
Her katana was drawn with a flick of her wrist as she flew into the room, a feral growl escaping her as she threw the man away from him, forcing him to the back wall of the room.

His gold eyes widened before they narrowed. "I told you to leave." He scolded as she lifted her katana defensively.

"We mate for life, you know that. Besides, you know I can't stand the stink of dead corpses." She growled, glancing back at him and winking, silver eyes soft.

"You damn wench!" The man lunged at her; she caught his lunge expertly, sparks flying in the air when her katana clashed with the blade of Sounga he held tightly.

She smirked darkly, showing her fangs. "So you're Takemaru; I've heard such lovely things about you!" Her katana forced him back again, before she extended her right foot into his jaw and sent him flying back with her kick.

He rubbed his jaw gingerly, yellowed red eyes glowering up at the brazen wolf demon.

'_Takemaru, kill the wolf; do it!_' Sounga growled, the gem glowing red again.

"I plan on it!" Takemaru spat, his aura pulsating dangerously as he raised the fang high.

A wide blast of yellow energy sailed at the puppet; he yanked her away by the scruff, shielding her with his body as the puppet was sent flying back into the wall behind him.

"That's typical; your nose is as sharp as ever. You picked up the scent of my Wind Scar." He panted, coming into the room.

"Your '_wind_' was more like a gentle breeze." Sesshomaru sneered.

"Too bad; I was hopin' to take the both of you out at the same time." InuYasha growled.

"Both of you cut it out; you can kill each other later." Getsu snapped, backhanding her mate's head in scolding and throwing a death glare at the younger of the two, seeing him huff and look away annoyedly.

"Two brothers working together to avenge the death of their father: don't tell me even demons have feelings." Takemaru drawled as he regained himself and stood to his feet.

"Yeah, well who the hell're you to talk!?" He snarled as he sprinted forward, Tetsusaiga clashing with the Sounga, teeth bared.

He sneered, "You look like Izayoi, when I look at your face." He declared, slightly surprising him. "The woman who betrayed me to give birth to you, a miserable half-demon."

"Damn you to hell!" He snarled angrily.

"Listen well, InuYasha: I am the man who sent your wretched mother to hell." He sneered.

Sesshomaru tossed the Tokijin past them, lunging at Takemaru, Tensaiga clashing with Sounga.

_**Heaven**__ and __**Hell**__._

Getsu widened her eyes slightly at this realization before she nodded, pricking her ears as the Sounga pulsed dangerously, the sight of a transparent dragon swirling around the blade; InuYasha roared as he swung down the Tetsusaiga. "InuYasha," she breathed in awe, sparks flying between the blades as he slowly forced him back, his heels digging into the floor.

_Is it possible that he can defeat him?_ She wondered, watching him send him flying back into the wall, crashing into the beams. She nodded slightly, returning her katana to the sheath; he stayed her hand, slightly surprising her. She looked up at him confusedly. "Sesshomaru," she began.

"It's not over just yet." He explained, meeting her silver eyes. "Considering you refuse to be put on the sidelines, it'd be wiser to let you help us." He mused.

She nodded, smiling softly. "Kind of been tryin' to tell you that since day one," she said lightly.

He rolled his eyes habitually, seeing her pout.

* * *

A/N: _more action scenes! lol hah my allergies are slowly suffocating my brain so i figure i better get these chaps out now before my brain is overrun with sinus fluids, the cheap little buggers sunsofbitches.. anywho~ __**review please**__; thanks!_


	22. Eye of the Storm: Salvation

A/N: _the final chapter! well, the final chap of this arc that i've covered. hope you guys have enjoyed reading this arc; there's more to come, don't get me wrong! my creative mind will concoct some sort of chaps with enough fluff scenes of our favorite lovebirds to keep you lot satisfied. anywho, enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**second half of the chap title ref - "__**Salvation**__" by __**Skillet**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 22: Eye of the Storm: Salvation_**

The wind howled loudly around them.

"Kagome, use your arrow; I'll do what I can!" She shouted against the wind.  
She nodded slightly, watching the wolf demon's aura swell around her petite form; "Now!" She cried as she released the arrow.

"**DYING WOLF'S BLOOD**!" She shouted, swinging her katana from the left widely, sending a wide arc of green energy flying at the creature that Sounga had become, both attacks forcing it to draw back, heels digging into the ground.

Blue fire escaped her palms in sharp torrents as she sent each thrust of her fists at the mangled thing, pricking her ears as its aura swelled dangerously; she flew back, digging her heels into the ground and panting slightly, glowering as the dust cloud slowly faded with the howling wind that whipped at her hair.

'_You stupid mangy wolf!_' Sounga thundered as the blade swung sharply at her, sending a wave of power from the fang at the wolf demon.

A bright blue shot of energy sailed at the wave, negating it quickly, surprising both the sword and she-wolf; she looked over at his gold eyes and nodded, smiling for him.

The ground shook, perking her ears again; she glanced over her shoulder at the large ravine that had been created, a growl in her throat. _The ravine's getting bigger, making the gateway to Hell easier for humans to fall into it; damn it, what're we gonna do?_ She wondered, looking up as her mate was knocked back, his heels digging into the slope.

He scowled down at the weary Tokijin, gold eyes reflecting in the battered sword's sharp side. "Useless," he grated.

InuYasha released a battle cry as he flew at Sounga.

'_DRAGON TWISTER!_' The infamous twister screamed at him, forcing him to fly back and retreat to the ledge Kagome was on, the Tetsusaiga cutting into the twister before he used the Backlash Wave, missing as it was sent crashing into the side of the citadel.

'_You're not bad; I'm amused!_' Sounga cackled.

InuYasha flew forward again; "idiot, don't do it!" Getsu cried.

The sword was raised high, prepared to deliver another blow; a whip of yellow light snagged on the blade, forcing the twister that had formed to crash into the slope.

"Backlash Wave!" InuYasha barked, the twister destroying the attack instantly, swirling around him.

"Idiot!" She shouted, pricking her ears as Sesshomaru lunged at Sounga, swinging his claws forward; she clicked her tongue and gripped her katana. "Sesshomaru, **MOVE**! **BLACKENED WOLF FANG**!" She roared, a wide arc of purple energy screaming at the mangled thing, sending it flying back as he disappeared and reappeared at her side.

He panted slightly, nodding to her. "That was quick thinking," he praised quietly, perking her ears.

She smiled at him and nodded back. "That's the only way to think when in battle," she shrugged.

_'I'LL SEND YOU BOTH INTO THE PITS OF HELL!_' Sounga roared as the creature leaped high and swung the blade down, a large twister forming just as InuYasha came running forward.

"Getsu, **move**!" Sesshomaru knocked both him and her out of the way as he drew the Tensaiga.

"**NO, SESSHOMARU**!" Getsu screamed as InuYasha held her back from getting hit by the blast, leaping onto a faraway ledge. "**SESSHOMARU**!" She howled his name into the air, the howl echoing around them.

The twister faded into the air to reveal him on one knee, panting and gripping the hilt of the Tensaiga that stood up from being stabbed into the ground.

Her eyes widened in awe before she smiled in relief. "Sesshomaru," she breathed his name.

"Getsu, stay here," InuYasha declared, leaping forward into the fray again.

The wind whipped at her hair as she held onto the hilt of her katana, watching the twister knock him back before the sword turned on her mate.

_**Sesshomaru**__!_

She wanted to move to help him, but for some reason her feet were glued to the ground she stood on; _what the hell?_ She thought, looking up as the half-breed got up and the sword prepared to deliver the final blow.

'_**DRAGON TWISTER**__!_'

"**BACKLASH WAVE**!"

The large twister was stopped with the power of his own twister, trying yet failing in surpassing the attack; _InuYasha_, she thought in surprise.

The Tensaiga trembled in his hand, perking his ears; he looked down at the blade that glowed blue. "Tensaiga…?"  
His father's words rang in his ears: _'Do you have someone to protect?'_

_Someone to protect…?_ Images of the imp, the girl, and the wolf demon flashed in his mind, the same question repeating in his mind; the beaming happy face of the wolf demon flashed in his mind last, seeming to be stuck to the inside of his eyelids.

_Getsu_, he thought her name, recalling the first moment they met, the first moment they'd kissed... the day she'd restored his left arm.

_'I love you, Sesshomaru; and all I ask is that you please don't leave me.'_ She'd said with a hoarse voice and tear-filled eyes.

His hand tightened on the hilt of the fang. "I, Sesshomaru, **do** have someone to protect!" He swung the blade sharply, his attack morphing with the attack of his half-brother's as both sailed at the mangled thing that was Sounga.

The aura dissipated once the attack hit, destroying the darkness that surrounded them, the demonic-aura-infused clouds overhead funneling down to the highest point in the citadel.

"Sesshomaru!" She rushed to his side as the imp and girl followed, throwing herself into his arms.

He groaned and held her tightly, making her squeak and then laugh, burying her face into his shoulder as he set her down, keeping his arms around her waist mostly out of protection. "It's over," he mused into her hair, squeezing her waist reflexively. "Let's go," he declared, ruffling her hair gently before taking her hand instead of her waist, walking away.

She nodded, smiling at him, relieved that he was alive and with her again.

A blinding white light shone behind them, pricking her ears; he looked over his shoulder as she turned.

His gold eyes widened. "Father," he spoke softly in awe, making her ears twitch; she looked at him. "'Father'?" She repeated softly, looking at the figure again.

A man that looked like he was a cross between both Sesshomaru and InuYasha with likewise gold eyes and long silver hair pulled in a ponytail smiled at his sons.

_So __**that**__'s their father_, she thought, her silver eyes softening.

"Sesshomaru, InuYasha: you have finally found the answer. You have made sure that the Sounga will be sealed forever in the netherworld; I have nothing more to teach you." The great Inu no Taisho declared, smiling again before his image faded from view.

:::::::oOo::::::::

She smiled at the trio of servants' words, the words echoing in her head; _their father sounded a lot like mine_, she thought.

"Getsu-onee!" The girl giggled as she hugged the wolf demon; she laughed and smiled at her, crouching to let her get onto her back and hold onto her shoulders.

"Let's move, you two." He declared calmly, already walking ahead of them away from the others.

"See you guys later!" She waved at the humans lightly before loping after him with the girl riding her shoulders, also waving at the group before they joined up with him.

"If you two keep lagging behind, don't expect me to wait on you." Sesshomaru warned, eyes closed, arms folded in the sleeves of his _kosode_.

**_THWACK_**.

Both girl and imp winced slightly.

His brow twitched. "What was that for?" He asked quietly, the bump on his head swollen largely.

"That was for scaring the ever-living shit outta me back there! You're such a jerk, worryin' the woman you love." She grated, arms folded across her chest as a vein twitched on her brow.

Sesshomaru exhaled, gold eyes looking away from her annoyed silver eyes. "I was expecting that," he mused aloud.

Getsu blushed, huffing quietly. "Sure you were." She grumbled, thinking back to his father and smiling to herself.

He turned an eye on her. "What're you so happy for?" He wondered. She looked at him and smiled a little. "I was just thinking that you look a lot like your father." She admitted quietly.

His ears pricked and he cut his gaze to the side, blush staining his cheeks at her confession. "Honestly," he grated in defeat.

The girl and wolf demon shared a look before they giggled softly in unison; his brow twitched annoyedly.

* * *

A/N: _and so ends the __**SoAHR**__ arc. if you have any critiques/ comments, please either message me or review the chap! thanks~ now __**ONWARD, GO WEST YOUNG SESSHY**__~! /gets bricked rofl kidding Sessh-kun~! /gets bricked again_

_(nah but srsly. __**REVIEW**__. thanks~)_


	23. You Wanna Fight (For Your Right)

A/N: ohaiyo_~ lol so i mentioned that the SoaHR (__**Swords of an Honorable Ruler**__) arc was over, and now things are starting to heat up. not much else to divulge, so enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Make me Proud (ft. Nicki Minaj**__" by __**Drake**__ (if things went modern, i can imagine this would definitely be our lovebirds' themesong ;D)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 23: You Wanna Fight (For Your Right)**_

His gold eyes were on her back as she looked past him at the valley beyond them that seemed to stretch for miles.

"Milord, um, may I ask you something?" A voice wondered at his ear, making it twitch, before he glanced at the owner of the voice to see it was her flea vassal that was on his shoulder.

"What is it?" He returned in that stoic voice of his.

"D-do you really love my mistress?" Ryoka asked hesitantly.

Sesshomaru kept his eyes on his mate's small waist and softened his gaze. "Of course I do," he replied; _if this is how flea vassals really behave, then it makes me grateful that Myoga chose to serve InuYasha instead of me_, he inwardly added. "Why do you ask?"

The flea laughed weakly. "Well, it's just that I was her father's vassal for a long time, and the thought of someone hurting the daughter of my master hurts me as well. Even before her father met his untimely end, he had entrusted me to look after Lady Getsuei, his firstborn child and his favorite." She explained.

His ears twitched. "Ryoka, tell me, what did her father look like? Getsu never talks about her family, or rather she doesn't like to talk about it, for reasons I can only imagine bring back memories of the night her home was destroyed." He asked quietly.

Ryoka sighed. "Lord Kiba was handsome! He was strong and kind-hearted, but at the same time he was very protective of his family and was a sight in battle. He was one of the most ruthless wolf demons I'd ever witness draw blood." She shuddered. "And his blood was delicious," she said with another sigh.

Sesshomaru nodded slightly and he let the words soak in; _now I see where she gets her ruthlessness from_, he thought with a smirk. _Her speed and gracefulness she most likely gained from her mother_, he inwardly added.

Getsu yawned, stretching her arms to fold them leisurely behind her head, turning about to look at him innocently. "Reminiscing, Ryoka?" She wondered as the flea hopped onto her shoulder loyally.

The flea laughed weakly. "Not in the slightest, milady!" She replied.

She sweatdropped and rolled her eyes dramatically. "If you say so, Ryo-chan," she sighed.

He smirked thoughtfully at her, looking down at his heirloom fang Tensaiga as it felt like the fang was disturbed, his brow furrowing a little; _Tensaiga, what's disturbing you?_ He wondered of the fang.

:::::::oOo:::::::

The wind blew softly around them, catching at her hair.  
She shook her head gingerly, looking at him. "Shouldn't we be getting back to Rin and Jaken?" She asked quietly.

He remained quiet, pricking his ears as the sight of a headless body moved up the small hill he stood on, spears and arrows protruding from the beast's back.

Getsu yelped and scrambled to hide behind him, digging her claws into his stole.

Sesshomaru smirked at her instinctive reaction to seeing the headless beast, stealing a glance at her. _So the mighty wolf princess fears something else other than my demise_, he thought.

"S-Sesshomaru, just what the hell is it?" She stammered, looking at the headless body that twitched before them.

Both _yokai_ looked up slightly to see InuYasha and his rag-tag pack of humans moving closer to where they were, their target obviously not the older of the two dog demons; she blinked, poking her head out from behind his shoulder. "What're they doing here?" She wondered aloud to herself as they stopped short of a few feet away from the body.

"Pa!" A small voice declared from InuYasha's back before a pup that looked either like a raccoon dog or otter hopped down and scurried to the body. "Hang on, Pa!" The pup cried desperately, clutching onto a big weight he carried on his shoulders.

"Kanda, the head!" Shippo the kitsune encouraged as he also hopped down from the half-breed's back and ran to help as the pup nodded and set down the weight onto the ground to reveal it was the head of an otter demon before both kitsune and otter pup placed the head onto the shoulders of the non-moving body, hoping to see it come back to life; the head simply rolled onto the grass, discouraging both pup and kitsune.

"**PA**!" The pup named Kanda wailed into the night.

Sesshomaru turned to start walking away, taking her hand and leading her after him; she spared the distraught pup one final glance before following.

"Hey, Sesshomaru," the half-breed began, making him pause. "What're you doing around here: this's no coincidence, crossing paths with you?"

He looked over his shoulder at his younger brother. "I don't owe you an explanation."

"Wait, Sesshomaru!" The priestess-girl piped up, looking hopeful as he paused again. "The sword you carry, the Tensaiga, it can save one hundred lives in one stroke. Please help us; use your sword to bring the boy's father back." She pleaded.

"Why should I; this has nothing to do with me." Sesshomaru replied coolly.

Getsu looked at her, looking at the mourning pup and frowning, recalling her own mourning regarding her late father; she pulled on his sleeve, forcing him to look at her silver eyes. "Sesshomaru," she began softly.

Shippo scurried to plant himself infront of the great dog demon, arms open wide as his aqua-colored eyes were pleading. "Sesshomaru, please find it in your heart to help my friend." He begged.

Her eyes widened slightly at his bravery. "Poor Shippo," she heard InuYasha say quietly behind them.

"If his Pop passes on, Kanda will be left all alone." The kitsune added, gulping down his fear.

She lowered her hand from his sleeve.  
"Step aside," he ordered quietly.

"Please, I'm begging you! Please help my friend!" Shippo cried as he bowed lowly before the great dog demon.

"Sesshomaru, come on; it's not like his father looked like he would be an enemy." Getsu finally spoke, scowling up at him as she felt like she'd heard enough pleading from the kitsune.

Sesshomaru looked at her in slight surprise, quickly masking it as the human girl put a hand on the kitsune's shoulder.

"You're wasting your time asking him, Shippo," InuYasha warned calmly behind them. "Sesshomaru isn't the type to help people when they're in trouble. Besides, there's the matter of the sword itself. The Tensaiga isn't something a guy like him knows how to use."

"True enough, only someone with a caring heart can wield that sword." Miroku chimed grimly.

"Precisely," he agreed simply, making to walk away before the sword pulsed at his side, pricking his ears.

_The Tensaiga… is it telling him to save the otter demon?_ She wondered in surprise, watching him draw the fang, noting that the blade was blue. "Tensaiga," she began softly.

"Back away," he ordered the otter pup as she gently lifted him by the scruff and pulled him away from his father's body; the sword pulsed again before he swung it over the trio of imps from the underworld, destroying the hold they held over the once-dead otter demon.

Shippo and Kanda watched in awe at his actions, waiting to see the demon's eyes open.  
"His eyes!" Getsu breathed in surprise as the eyes slowly opened.

"Papa!" Kanda beamed with tears welling in his eyes before he hesitantly moved away from the wolf demon's side to run towards the alive otter demon. "Papa!"

She smiled softly, looking at her mate and letting the smile remain. "I'm startin' to think Totosai was wrong in calling you 'evil incarnate', after all," she mused gently.

He huffed. "Give it a rest, princess," he grumbled, hearing her giggle as he sheathed the Tensaiga.

The otter demon sat up after embracing his pup, reaching to pull the spears and arrows from his back. "I sure didn't expect to come back to life," he mused.

"Could you describe where you were after you were beheaded?" The monk asked.

He looked down. "It was a strange place, I'll tell you that: a world shrouded in strange white mist, I was floating through the place, only with my head, and I noticed many other demon heads, all with pained expressions on their faces." He explained.

"They must've been the demons who were beheaded by Hakudoshi." The half-breed mused, pricking her ears.

_Hakudoshi…? Why does that name sound like it relates to Naraku?_ She wondered, tapping her chin with a knuckle.

"And when I dove under the mist, I saw something extraordinary: giant bones! And by that I mean there was an enormous skeleton, still clad in magnificent armor." The otter went on, perking the ears of the priestess-girl and half-breed; his gold eye glanced over at the otter in acknowledgement. "There were a lot of other skeletons too, so I realized that I must've been in the afterlife."

"The afterlife…?" She wondered aloud.

"Let's go," he urged softly, taking her wrist and leading the way as they started off in a different direction.  
She nodded, looking back at the humans plus otter family and smiled softly, turning to walk at his right dutifully.

"Sesshomaru, what's the place that that pup's father mentioned? It sounds like a gravesite…" She wondered.

He looked up from glancing at the Tensaiga at his hip, looking at her to see there was confusion and curiosity swimming in her silver eyes. "The gravesite of my father." Her eyes widened slightly. "It seems that Naraku is vile enough to not let the dead rest in peace." He growled the last bit with disgust.

She lowered her gaze, huffing. "But your father's grave is the border between this world and the underworld, right? So if he's trying to get to the borderland, then…" A growl brewed in her throat, sounding soft. "That prick! There's a shard there." She deduced in a low tone.

His ears twitched. "Are you sure?" He wondered.

She nodded. "Why else would he want to disturb the grave of your father, a demon that could've crushed his skull with only a fist?" She reasoned, looking at him.

He nodded slightly, a smirk twitching his lips at the image of his father's fist crushing the skull of that cretin. "Good point," he mused quietly.

* * *

The imp sighed. "I'm pretty sure Rin doesn't know anything…" He yelped as she lifted him by the scruff and set him on the dragons back. "W-What was that for, you idiot wolf demon!?" He demanded shrilly.

She rolled her eyes, scritching the cheek of Ah's head gently, seeing the dragon chirp and lean into her palm. "Your consistent heavy breathing was starting to get on my nerves; a ride on the dragon never killed anyone, and Ah-Un won't hurt ya, will you boys?" She crooned to the dragon gently, Un making a happy noise as she stroked the bridge of his nose affectionately with a claw.

His gold eyes sharpened as he caught the scent of that boy, along with the scent of the man both he and the wolf demon despised. "This is it," he grumbled.

She wrinkled her nose as she also caught the scent. "Sesshomaru," she began quietly.

"Let's go, Getsu; this time I will finally kill him." He beckoned her, walking forward.

She nodded, leading the dragon by the reins after his lead, a frown on her brow.

::::::::oOo::::::::

"Sunnuva bitch!" She groaned, glaring at the dark swamp they'd stopped at.

He glanced at her. _Well at least the disappointment isn't just my problem_, he mused to himself as she walked ahead of him into the water, and her feet wading in the shallow end as she moved further away from him; he exhaled and followed quietly at her heels.

She poked her head into a cave or opening it seemed, sniffing the air; she clicked her tongue and swore, clenching her fists as she poked her head back out and looked to see him standing behind her. "Did you smell anything?"

"No, there's not a trace. He must've gotten away again; it'd be stupid if the both of us hallucinated smelling his stink." She shook her head, taking his offered hand of help and letting him lead her back to the bank.

"Let's keep moving; perhaps he went on the land instead of in the water." He mused, letting her go to let her shake her head of water as he took a step away to keep from getting sprayed on.

She sighed and nodded. "Yeah, let's go. C'mon you two," she added to the imp and girl, the imp taking the dragon's reins and leading it after their lead as they walked on dry land.

_If we don't find that cheap prick I swear I'm going to kill any one of his incarnations that shows their face to me_, she inwardly vowed.

* * *

"A dead bird?" She wondered aloud, tilting her head to one side.

The imp shrieked. "It's been beheaded!"

She sniffed the air and growled. "Whoever it was, the scent of the murderer has faded with the blood." She mused.

"It seems you were late in getting here, Sesshomaru." The drawling comment of that Kagura bitch spoke behind them; she looked over her shoulder to see she stood atop one of the ledges, fan in hand. "This entryway has already opened and closed again."

Her lip curled. "Kagura," she greeted coldly.

The girl scrambled closer to the dragon's necks as the imp shrieked again and brandished the staff; she extended her arm to stop him, her silver eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me Naraku is letting you go to the graveyard too? Last I checked, **traitorous bitches** like you went straight to the underworld to **rot for eternity**." She drawled lowly, bristling.

Kagura's lip curled at her taunt and she huffed. "**Pain-in-the-ass whores** like you go **first**, wolf girl." She spat.

Getsu growled, perking her ears as he hopped onto the same ledge she stood on, slightly surprising both females.

"'The entryway'; the entryway to _where_, exactly?" Sesshomaru demanded, hearing her leap to stand behind him, vaguely listening to the quiet '_shink_' of her katana unsheathing.

"The path that leads to the border between this world and the next. Naraku and InuYasha have already gone through." She informed, pricking the wolf's ears.

"From your manner of speaking, it seems like you know something else." He mused lowly.

"I do know something else: about another path, in fact. It's dangerous, though. Even you or your precious bitch might not be able to pass through there alive." She tapped her cheek with her fan.

He moved a little to the left as a shot of blue fire was sent at the wind _yokai_, the fan unfolding quickly and blocking her strike.

"Since when is it your concern whether Sesshomaru or me make it out alive from some place? Tell us where it is and I won't burn you alive." The wolf _yokai_ threatened coldly, glaring at her red eyes.

* * *

A/N: _**cliffhanger**__... __**LE-GASP**__. lol nah but srsly, cliffhanger because the next chap or so is about to get serious. anyway, so apparently Naraku respects noone when it comes to getting what he wants, even if disturbing the grave of a great demon lord like the Inu no Taisho is how far he has to go.. man he is SRSLY demented.. can you tell how much i dislike him? what will Sesshomaru do: will he protect his father's grave site? and will Getsu finally get her revenge after such a long journey..? xP anywho, that's all i've got for now. _

_until next chap, __**REVIEW **__**PLZ**__, thanks~_


	24. Tanks, Bombs, Guns, Bombs

A/N: _ugh, my comp went screwey on me and i didn't save this chap beforehand so i had to basically rewrite it.. but thank God i improvised! lol anywho, where we last left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu had a run-in with Kagura, the wind sorceress mentioning that Naraku had gone off to the "__**borderlands**__" (IE: the border between the mortal world and netherworld), the place where the Inu no Taisho's bones rest. will Sesshomaru protect the honor of the resting place of his father? and why did Getsu stay her hand from slaying Kagura? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Zombie**__" by __**the Cranberries**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 24: Tanks, Bombs, Guns, Bombs_**

"In this realm of fire, there's a gateway that connects to the other side. Over here."

She was surprisingly silent, which irked him as well as made him on edge; if she, the wolf princess whose spitfire attitude was as blazing as her blue wolf fire, was as silent as the grave around a woman she so loathed, he knew she was boiling beneath the surface.

He suddenly felt as if being between the two female _yokai_ was a really bad idea.

"Lord Sesshomaru, are you sure it's wise to be following this Kagura woman; she might be leading you into a trap again." The imp hissed.

"Be silent." He saw him flinch. "I was talking to Tensaiga, not to you." He replied stiffly.

She glanced at the soft blue glow emanating from his heirloom fang and frowned softly, exhaling and reaching to hold the shaking hilt still with a finger, slightly surprising him; her silver eyes met his gold orbs. "Let's move." She urged softly, releasing the hilt to leap down after the woman, before he followed at her heels.

The imp yelped a complaint before he hurried after the two powerful _yokai_.

She didn't like Kagura one damn bit: hell, she loathed her very existence! But the mere thought of being one step closer to getting at Naraku's throat washed over her loathing of the wind demon, which at first surprised her, but now she was accustomed to it.  
Having Kagura's back presented to her would've given a less-mature version of herself an opportunity to cut her head off, but she was wiser now, at least wise enough to know that Naraku would end her before she would ever have the chance to end him if she dared cause bloodshed on Kagura's part.

"Milady, your father's bones are nowhere near where Lord Sesshomaru's father is buried," the voice of Ryoka muttered at her left ear, tugging on the silver earring to get her attention.

"I know that, Ryoka; his father's bones have been disturbed, so it's his job to get rid of the disturbance… and it's my job to stay by his side." Getsu replied quietly.

Her ear twitched as she overheard the conversation going on between vassal and mistress; _huh, go figure. So that wolf really did swear loyalty to him. She really must care about him_, she thought with an inward huff.

They finally stopped at the end of the long dark tunnel. "Okay, this is as far as I'm going to take you." She announced.

She huffed quietly and crossed her arms at her chest. "For once, you were useful." She mused quietly.

Her lip curled at the insult and she huffed back, stepping aside as he walked past them. "I'm not going to get involved in this."

She shrugged absently. "See ya." She stepped forward to take his hand and move to his side dutifully.

"What did you mean by that, Kagura; is it dangerous up ahead!?" The imp wondered shrilly.

"Be quiet, fool; you're the one who asked me to show you the way." She glanced at the two _yokai_. "I warned you that I wouldn't guarantee your safety." She reminded.

The Tensaiga shook again, perking her ears; he glanced at the fang, meeting her silver eyes to see she nodded slightly. He placed his hand on the hilt, dragging her by the hand forward.

"Wait for me, Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp scurried after them.

"You know it's not too late for you to turn back," he mused.  
She smirked and squeezed his hand. "I said it before, remember? We're in this together." She reminded softly.

He exhaled and nodded, returning the smirk. "Until the end." He replied.

She nodded back. "And then some." She mused.

* * *

She recalled the way the stone guards at the gate had bowed to him, on account of him possessing the Tensaiga; she slowly opened her eyes as they passed through to the borderland, her eyes widening slightly as she looked about the mist-covered graveyard that stretched on for miles, at the bones discarded here or there, the vulture-skeletons flying about around them as they flew through the mist.  
Her eyes finally rested on the large skeleton that was –and definitely had to be—the great Inu no Taisho, Sesshomaru and InuYasha's father; she recalled his kind face from the battle with the Sounga and quieted, smiling to herself.

"You're not required to join in the battle, you know. Naraku disturbed the grave of my father, not yours." He reminded quietly at her ear, looking at her as she held onto him, albeit not as tightly as she used to (to which he assumed she was getting used to flying with him).

She looked up at him and huffed, shaking her head softly. "I know; I came with you for backup. Besides, even though it's not my father's grave, Naraku will die; whether it takes us both to do it or one of us." She stated, her eyes determined.

He smiled to himself, his thumb stroking her left cheekbone gently. "Now you really sound like a wolf," he mused.

She blushed and smiled, looking away. "Hush."

Despite all the stink of death that hung about, the pungent stench of Naraku stung her nose; she wrinkled it, grimacing.  
He drew the Tokijin, pricking her ears. "I suggest you move back," he declared quietly.

She nodded, releasing his waist to leap away; a loud '_caw_' sounded as she landed on a vulture-skeleton, the wings flapping lazily as she adjusted to riding it; she held onto the long neck absently, watching him swing the demon blade, a wide jet of green energy sailing forward at the circular-barrier-encased figure she could only assume was Naraku; she pulled on the neck, telling the bird to go upward.

"Sesshomaru, I'll meet you there; don't act stupid." She announced, flashing a smile at him.

He huffed and smirked at her. "So long as you don't act reckless," he replied; she laughed, telling the skeleton to fly forward, the wings flapping as it cawed again and flew forward into the mist towards the battle, a slight breeze catching at his hair; _be careful, princess_, he thought as he drew closer to the scene.

She glared at Naraku as she came to a halt near the other vulture skeleton that harbored the priestess-girl. "Kagome, are you guys alright?" She asked, looking at the human.

She nodded. "We're okay." She replied looking at the half-breed as her silver eyes also traveled to the same half-breed, ears twitching as his brother landed inside the maw of the great dog demon and decked him across the cheek, sending him flying back further into the maw.

"InuYasha!" The humans plus fox kitsune and cat demon hurried to their friend's side.

She groaned and slapped her forehead, sighing as he berated him for disturbing the gravesite of their father, leaping onto a ledge near her. "Was that necessary?" She asked exasperatedly.

He ignored her, his gold eyes for the vile half-breed hovering in the air yards away from him. "Vermin," he growled.

Her silver eyes followed his line of sight and she flashed her teeth, quietly drawing her katana; she pricked her ears as the half-breed moved a little to the right, standing between them and their comrades, her silver eyes looking between both male demons.

His eyes sharpened before he swung the Tokijin again, the wide jet of blue energy sailing at the barrier; her eyes widened slightly as the attack made the surface of the barrier ripple. _The Tokijin… he almost cut through the barrier!_ She thought in awe.

"You're stronger than InuYasha, I'll give you that." He drawled.

_Hm… if Sesshomaru uses the Dragon Strike and I use the Dying Wolf's Blood, we might be able to break the barrier_, she mused, tapping her chin with her left index knuckle as the sound of his strikes against the barrier hummed in the air.

"Mistress, aren't you going to help Lord Sesshomaru?" The flea asked, tugging on her earring again.

She nodded. "Give me a minute, Ryoka," she replied, pricking her ears as three giant green dragon-like limbs stretched out from the barrier; they dove down to sail at him.

"Look out, Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp cried.

"**Blackened Wolf Fang**!" Purple energy formed in a wide arc screamed at the limbs, destroying them on contact; the skeleton's wings flapped loudly as she steadied the bird, katana lifted slightly, her silver eyes on the red glare of the vile half-breed.

"Getsu," he began quietly behind her; she glanced at him and smiled lightly. "You can thank me later."

Thick purple miasma streamed out from the decapitated necks of the dragon limbs, perking her ears; she used her left sleeve to cover her mouth and nose from the stink, gripping the hilt of her katana.

"You're not deluded enough to think that this miasma would have any effect on us." He scoffed, watching the skeleton falter in staying airborne before she leaped to land on an outcropping a few yards away from him, removing her sleeve from her face after the majority of the miasma thinned out.

"No matter if it doesn't." He drawled. "What now, Sesshomaru? The miasma will increase each time you or Getsuei cut my body… and everyone in this area will perish without fail."

He glanced at his mate; she smirked at him and returned her gaze to the half-breed; he closed his eyes serenely. "Naraku, is that all you have to say to me? You seem to think I would hold my sword back for the sake of humans; I'm not merely so sentimental!" He swung the Tokijin, blue energy streaking at the limbs and severing them, more miasma flying into the air.

"So it doesn't matter to you if everyone dies? Well, you're showing your colors as a full-blooded demon, Sesshomaru. Your heart is unlike the others. Even towards your precious wolf princess." Naraku snickered as the attack missed again, red eyes smug.

Getsu growled softly and clung to the hilt of her katana. "He knows that I'm stronger than my title suggests, Naraku. Besides, I've been dying to rip you apart for five years, now." She spat frostily, bristling.

"My heart has nothing to do with this: Naraku, you will be defeated today, whether by mine or my mate's hand." Sesshomaru stated as he bared the front side of Tokijin, the wind blowing softly around them.

"**WIND SCAR**!" The infamous attack sailed at the miasma, destroying it; her eyes widened as crystalline-like shards sailed at Naraku's barrier, dismantling it quickly.

"The barrier," she breathed, looking at her mate. "Sesshomaru, now's the chance! Use the Dragon Strike and I'll use the Dying Wolf's Blood; if we combine the attacks, we might be able to kill him once and for all." She urged quietly, pricking his ears.

He nodded, smiling at her before his gold eyes moved to the hovering form of Naraku yards away from them. "It's worth a shot," he mused more to himself; _a wolf indeed, with such quick tactics-thinking_, he thought.

She distinctly felt the Tetsusaiga pulsate from the maw of the dog demon before InuYasha growled out a threat. "Adamant Barrage!" He swung the sword; a wide array of the same crystalline shards screamed at the half-breed, impaling him.  
"C-curse you… InuYasha…!" Naraku groaned as his red eyes widened.

"I see you no longer can use your barrier; Getsu, **now**!" Sesshomaru shouted.

"**DYING WOLF'S BLOOD**!" Getsu screamed, sharply swinging her blade; a wide jet of green energy screamed at the impaled villain.

"**DRAGON STRIKE**!" Blue energy screamed in a likewise-wide jet at the intended target.

His body split into shreds, the shreds swirling around in a circle. "Did we do it?" She wondered softly, her nerves on edge as she vainly hoped they had indeed destroyed the villain of her past.

His remains began to disappear.  
_He's disappearing_, he thought in slight surprise.

A sacred arrow shot out at the remains, a pale lilac barrier forming around the shard the arrow had purified.

_The shard… She purified it!_ She thought, pricking her ears as the mist around them faded until the sky was no longer darkened, but instead a pale blue like the sky of the mortal world.

He looked at her as she sheathed her katana, looking at him. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded, smiling at him. "Yeah, let's get out of here. These bones are starting to give me the creeps." She replied, hopping onto his outcropping and taking his hand.

He smirked slightly and hooked his arm around her waist, perking up as the imp scurried to run to their side before she lifted him by the scruff and let him cling to her sash, leaping into the air and taking off, feeling her arms hold onto his waist reflexively.

_Was Naraku really dead?_

* * *

A/N: _okay, so i didn't leave this time with a cliffhanger.. but honestly, i __**SO**__ wanted to kill off Naraku in this chap! i was half-tempted to write that Getsu set his remains on fire and end him there.. but then i thought 'wait, what about his incarnations?' so i decided to go with the plot... if anyone thinks i should spin off from that instinctive idea, message or review! this is just mostly on curiosity, but still.. anyway, not much else to put._

**review please**; thanks~


	25. Transcendental: Ashes from Pure Sutras

A/N: _so where we last left off, Sesshomaru, Getsu, InuYasha and his crew took down Naraku.. but is he down for good? this chap is a filler compliments of the anime, not my own doing.. well okay, just the tidbits in here. anywho, as i ignore the fact that i'm coughing up a fucking kidney.. or maybe it's a lung.. yeah thats what it is...! enjoy the chap! ...don't mind me, i'll be hacking to death in the corner over here.. Dx_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**E.T. (Noisa Remix)**__" by __**Katy Perry**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 25: Transcendental: Ashes from Purification Sutras_**

She cracked her knuckles and grimaced at the stink of human blood on her claws, lowering her arms to fold in the sleeves of her kimono. _This isn't nearly as fun as it was ripping Naraku to shreds_, she thought distastefully.

"Master Ungai, it's a demon; two of them!" A man declared from the wood, making her ears twitch; she looked off to the source of the voice as both _yokai_ looked at the huddled group of travelling monks.

"A monk circus; It's rare to see one nowadays," she mused thoughtfully.

He smirked slightly at her sarcasm, his ears twitching as an older-looking monk stepped out from the middle of the huddle, lifting his straw hat and surveying them; he extended his arm to prevent her from moving forward, pricking her ears.

"Are you responsible for this?" The monk –she supposed he was the "Master Ungai" one of the other monks spoke of— demanded.

She bristled slightly, looking at him as he lowered his hand and walked away; she followed wordlessly, keeping her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

"Stop!" The man barked.

"Why should I: I don't answer to humans, and neither does she." He retorted coolly as she sidled to his left side while they walked.

The monk threw a handful of sacred sutras out at them; she slipped her right hand out from the confines of the sleeve and flicked her wrist, blue fire igniting and burning the sutras on contact.

"Humans should know better than to try and tame a demon." She growled, throwing the monk a steely silver glare before she closed her eyes serenely.

The wind picked up around them, creating a small dust storm as he hooked his arm around her waist and they spirited away into the darkness, leaving the baffled monks in their wake.

"You're starting to act more like me; maybe I really **should** be worried." He commented as soon as they were well enough away from the place they'd encountered the monks.

She blushed and huffed, shirking out of his grip and crossing her arms again. "Don't flatter yourself. I was only warning those men; they smelled like they were into the demon exterminating business." She bristled a little.

He huffed quietly, mirroring her and crossing his arms in the sleeves of his _kosode_. "So they did." He amended more to himself.

* * *

The imp groveled before both _yokai_, apologizing vehemently for losing the girl.

_Again_, she thought to herself, exhaling and pinching the bridge of her nose. _Geez, thank God there are no pups to be had; otherwise Jaken would be dead for losing them as well!_ She inwardly groaned.

"She's vanished, milord! I think Ongokuki may have abducted her!" He wailed.

Her ears twitched.  
"'Ongokuki'?" Both she and her mate repeated in chorus.

"Ongokuki is a demon that lures children to him by the sound of his flute! He takes the children and sells them to other demons; I heard the sound of his flute just around the time Rin vanished." The imp elaborated.

_So he's like the Soul Piper, only he lures live children away instead of their souls_, she inwardly deduced.

"Getsu," he beckoned, turning to walk in the opposite direction; she looked at him and nodded, sidling to his side again.  
"So, how're we going to get her back?" She wondered, looking at him.

He smirked slightly. "I'll think of something."

She sweatdropped; _that smirk and those words... I'm starting to feel sorry for that Ongokuki bastard_, she thought.

::::::oOo:::::::

"Sure I can; I can survive just fine! I can make it on my own!"

She bristled and had every nerve inside her screaming to attack that monk that was manhandling her; even though she was human, she was still her pack… She may not be Korihime, but she was like a little sister to her regardless!

He kept his hand clamped tight on her wrist, squeezing, making her look at his gold eyes that said 'wait'.

He should know by now that her patience wasn't very flexible, especially with arrogant humans!

"…I never want to go back to a village to live with humans: Lord Sesshomaru! Getsu-onee! Please help me!" The girl cried into the night.

_That's our cue_, she thought, looking at him as he looked over his shoulder at her call. An explosive was thrown at the wooded spot they stood in; he grabbed her scruff and spirited out of the firing range, reappearing in the open and letting her down.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee, you came!" Rin's beaming face met her silver eyes; she smiled in relief at seeing her unscathed, her silver eyes going from warm to freezing cold as she turned her gaze to the monk that held her around the waist.

"What have you done: have you bewitched this young child?" The monk named Ungai demanded as he walked ahead of her towards their group.

"Master Ungai," one of the monks began warily as he didn't stop walking.

"This demon's foul aura must be dealt with!" He raised his staff at him horizontally; he paused at last as the majority of the monks ran in a circle around him, seeming to be forming a spell.

Her eyes widened slightly as they thrust out their brown beads, sending sutras flying at him, the paper attaching to his body; "Look out, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin cried.

"Demon be gone!" Ungai shouted, the jewel of his staff glowing brightly as the aura around him pulsed visibly.

"**LORD SESSHOMARU**!" The girl shouted.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu shouted alertly as the ground shook with the spell that sent currents of electricity flying at him, causing a bright light to shine from the circle.

The dust cleared then, slightly surprising both females of his pack as he stood there, unfazed.

"Sesshomaru," she breathed softly, relief washing over her before it was brained by her inner knowledge of the fact that something trivial like a cleansing ritual would do little to harm the demon lord she loved.

"Master, he's still alive!" The same monk as before declared in fear.

"Be strong men; immobilize him!" Ungai ordered before they repeated the same running-circle formation, chanting something in unison; a barrier formed around his feet, forcing him to stop moving, before it closed in on him, making sparks rise up and fly to electrocute him.

"Evil demon… **be** **GONE**!"  
He slammed the blunt end of the staff into the ground, sending a wave of electricity surging to the metal ring on the top of the staff before the wave was sent at the caught demon.

He growled, preparing to draw the Tokijin, although she could tell that it looked like it pained him to move.

_The staff; if I destroy the staff, it'll break the spell_, she thought, grunting softly and rushing at the head monk.

Sutras were thrown at her; she dodged one or two of them, gritting her teeth as the third attached to her right leg, sending a jab of pain racing up her spine and making her skid to a halt.

"Shit," she grumbled, sucking in a breath of air before she yanked the sutra off her leg, fighting a yelp at the pain; the monk thrust two fingers at the staff, sending a new wave of pain screaming at the dog demon.

He snarled as his eyes turned red and his beast slowly started to take over for his human guise.

Her eyes widened. "Sesshomaru, don't do it; **don't transform**! Not for these monks; please, **listen to me**! It's me, Getsu! The woman you love; **your mate**! **Sesshomaru, DON'T DO IT**!" She shouted over the thundering snarls leaving his fanged mouth, vainly praying to God that he could hear her before it was too late.

_Getsu!_ His conscious registered her name, flashes of her smiling face appearing in his mind; '_It wasn't scary; it's not like I don't have that side of me, either._' She'd said while healing his body.

A plume of red smoke rose up as the jewel of the staff shattered; she covered her eyes with her arm, widening her eyes slightly as the smoke cleared and he stood there, standing tall.

"Sesshomaru," she breathed in relief, smiling and looking as the girl ran ahead of her to his side; she smiled again, moving forward to go to his side dutifully.

"Rin," he spoke, perking her ears.

"Yes?" She looked at him innocently.

"Follow us if you want," he declared, making her ears twitch, turning to lead the way away from the open area; she looked at the girl and smiled gently, following him.

She started to go after the two _yokai_ she had considered her family before the hand of the monk Ungai grabbed her wrist, keeping her back.

"Don't go," he rasped. "They have evil spirits; they're demons! Not someone a human child should follow..."

"Let me go!" She barked, yanking her wrist free before running off, pausing short as he mentioned that humans and demons lived in different worlds.

She stopped walking, turning to look at the girl as she seemed to be thinking on something; she tilted her head to one side curiously. "Rin, are you coming?" She asked warmly, seeing her big brown eyes blink before she turned to the monk and waved goodbye before hurrying after the two _yokai_.  
"Coming!" She declared, embracing the wolf princess.

Getsu chuckled and smiled at her, tousling her hair in that sisterly way before she straightened, letting her hand grab the sleeve of her kimono as they followed their ever-stoic leader; she looked over her shoulder at the rambling monk and flashed a fang at him, looking forward and sighing. "I wonder if you'd be okay with me looking for a replacement for Jaken," she mused to the girl.

Rin blinked, looking up at her older-sister-figure. "What do you mean, Getsu-onee?" She asked innocently.

"Because if he loses track of you again, we're going to need a replacement babysitter." She sighed.

He sweatdropped. "Give it a rest, Getsu; it's been a long night." He reproved.

She stuck her tongue out at him.  
"You're so mean; can't a girl dream of better things?" She grated, crocodile tears welling in her eyes.

The girl giggled at the sight.

"Not in this lifetime." He deadpanned.

**_THWACK_**.

"That was for scarin' me back there with that dog face, fluff-ball." She sniffed.

* * *

She sweatdropped as he sent him off to go look for Ah-Un, sighing and looking at him. "Sorry for not acting sooner; I shoulda destroyed that monk's staff the second I got the chance." She apologized quietly, rubbing her neck.

He quirked a brow. "There's no need to apologize; besides, those monks were simple enough to defeat. As long as you both came back in one piece, that's all I cared about." He reassured quietly, perking her ears.

She blushed slightly and smiled at him, dropping her hand to her side. "If you say so," she shrugged lightly.

"Lord Sesshomaru, when I die, will you remember me?" The girl asked softly, making his ears twitch.

He looked at her and quieted for a moment before he huffed and looked away. "Don't talk about silly things like that." He chided in the same tone.

She blinked before a smug grin crossed her lips; she sighed dramatically and threw her arms around his neck, catching him off guard.

"Aww, Sesshomaru you finally have a heart, I'm so glad I could cry!" She said emotionally, crocodile tears in her eyes as she squeezed his neck and made him teeter to the left.

Blush stained his cheeks and he tried to clear his throat, beginning to try and pull her off his neck. "Getsu, get off me…" He groaned in exasperation.

Rin looked at the sight of her lord blushing and the happy expression on her older-sister-figure's face, laughing at them.

Sesshomaru sweatdropped, struggling in pulling away from his mate's death-grip she had on his neck; he sighed heavily and resigned to his fate.

Getsu beamed and kissed his cheek sloppily, seeing a vein twitch on his brow before she pressed her cheek to his neck, making his arm around her waist squeeze reflexively.

_Even if Lord Sesshomaru doesn't remember me, Getsu-onee will; I know it._

* * *

A/N: _i personally thought this was a cute filler. even though Sesshy almost went demon-form on those monks, i thought it was cute how Rin asked him to remember her if she ever died (which, with Sesshomaru, i doubt she ever will; he'd just revive her again with the Tensaiga if he so wished). hah i need sleep.. my brain will let me keep rambling on if i don't stop now.. /gets bricked _

_**ALSO**__! incase anyone is wondering, __**I WILL be going into the Final Act season**__, but as i've done with the main seasons of_ InuYasha_, i'll be pruning through the eps for ones with just plain ol' drop-dead-sexy Sesshy. figured i would put that out~ ;D hey, Getsu vowed to kill Naraku and i intend for her to fulfill her vow, dammit! lol_

_more coming up so __**review please**__! thanks~_


	26. Fight Inside: Prologue

A/N: _the last chap was a filler compliments of the anime so this one is more like a prologue for the _Final Act_ season. i didn't get much in on this chap, so i apologize in advance. /bows anyway, we learn something very vital in this chap so enjoy!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Fight Inside**__" by __**Red**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 26: Fight Inside - Prologue_**

_That stench!_

She looked up alertly from riding with the girl on the dragon, slipping off its back. "Sesshomaru," she began.

"I know." He interjected quietly; both _yokai_ looked as a giant feather came into view amidst the fog around them before a figure dropped down from the feather into the moving current of the small waterfall.

She bristled reflexively as she saw that it was indeed Kagura, although it looked like she was knocked out; _that's strange, since when did she get so weak?_ She wondered.

"What shall we do about her, Lord Sesshomaru?" The imp asked him.

"Forget about her; we're going." He answered dismissively, walking ahead of the imp as she followed at his heels.

"Hey, Rin!" The imp barked as the girl waded into the water towards the unconscious demon.

She clicked her tongue and sighed, perking her ears as the girl tried to pull her out of the current before she fell in; the imp hurried to help her out before both shorter members of their pack fell into the water.

"Good grief," she slapped her forehead. _Well, at least today's excitement wasn't a total bore_, she thought.

:::::::oOo:::::::

"She's dead in my book." Jaken declared as he squinted at the unconscious female, sporting a fresh bump given by his master on his head.

"Give it a rest, Jaken," Getsu grated, scowling at the trees and crossing her arms at her chest.

"I'm surprised you didn't rush in to heal her," Sesshomaru mused to her, making her ears twitch.

She huffed and elbowed him. "Just because I restored your arm doesn't mean I'm a friggin' saint. Besides, whoever injured her deserves a compliment from me." She sniffed.

He rolled his eyes, watching her straighten from sitting on the rock he also sat on to pet the dragon heads. "It's not like I was ever interested in her. She's one of Naraku's incarnations, if you recall; besides, you and I are mates, and as you said, we're mated for life." He pointed out, watching her stiffen slightly.

She scritched the left cheek of Ah's head, smiling as he leaned into her palm. "I know that. Though the fact that she's Naraku's incarnation is reason enough for me to hate her." She remarked.

He smirked slightly at her defense, shaking his head a little. _At least she didn't argue it for too long_, he mused.

"You people," the wind sorceress commented, a sign she was conscious at last.

She glanced over at her and huffed. "There're virgin eyes here; fix yourself up for the moon's sake." She growled.

She huffed back and shrugged her kimono back on, glaring at the dog demon and then at the pissy wolf demon.

"Lord Sesshomaru was the one who saved you, after all," Rin said lightly.

"Only as an after-thought," Jaken huffed.

She glanced at him. "So you have some compassion after all." She mused.

Getsu crossed her arms over her chest and glowered at her.

"And just what the hell are **you** staring at?" Kagura demanded.

"A drowned fish." She said snidely.

She bristled. "You damn little…" she began.

"Both of you, enough." Sesshomaru spoke at last, sending a look at his companion before he glared at the wind demon, both females quieting reluctantly; Getsu punched his arm and huffed. "We're going," he declared, straightening and heading off in a different direction.

"Hold on, don't you wanna know what happened to me?" Kagura barked, pricking his ears slightly.

"I have no interest in what happened to you. And besides, if we stay any longer, Getsu might just cut your head off." He added wryly, seeing his mate smirk slightly.

"Not even if I told you I found Naraku's heart!?" She demanded sharply; he stopped walking, looking over his shoulder at her. "Listen, Sesshomaru, and you too, Getsu; you must've noticed by now that Naraku never dies, no matter how many times he's slain. That's because his heart is located somewhere else." Kagura explained. "In order to destroy Naraku, you have to destroy his heart!"

Getsu scowled and folded her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "I can't smell that you're lying, so I'll give you credit for being so bold as to betray him like this. To be honest, I always thought his heart had burned out a long time ago in the fires of hell." She mused the last bit with a growl, ignoring the imp's boisterous warning to not trust her.

"It's up to you whether to believe me or not; but it'd be easier if you took this." She held up a small green shard that glowed slightly in the sunlight.

She moved away from his side to examine the shard. "What is it?" She asked quietly.

"A demonic aura crystal; Naraku stole a jewel named the Fuyoheki that can hide his demonic aura. He uses it to completely hide the location of his heart." She broke the shard in two, handing the larger half to the wolf demon; she looked at it between her thumb and index finger, stowing it in the collar of her kimono and nodding slightly. "That crystal stops glowing when it approaches the Fuyoheki; that's what happened when I attacked Goryomaru's temple. From what I can tell, this Goryomaru guy is the protector of Naraku's heart." She informed.

She quirked a brow. "So is this Goryomaru bastard one of Naraku's allies? You of all people should know that, right?"

She huffed. "Naraku doesn't trust me enough to tell me about that."

"If what you're saying is true, then Naraku must already know that you're after his heart. He's smart enough to figure out that much," he commented dryly, making the wind demon bristle alertly.

She looked at him and nodded. "Sesshomaru has a point, as surprising as it is to figure that Naraku's that smart." She straightened from the crouching position she was in and folded her arms. "Therein making it pointless for you to take further action." She deemed.

She scowled at him. "What about you, Sesshomaru; and you as well, Getsu? Why don't you get him?" She spat.

"Kagura, are you planning to use me to kill him for you?" Sesshomaru wondered sardonically; Getsu snorted and covered her mouth to hide a chuckle at his tone.

"Naraku can't possibly be killed except by someone of your caliber, and as much as I hate to say this, Getsu's caliber as well, considering how you both ripped him apart in the borderland. Noone else surpasses you in both skill and demonic power." She stated.

Getsu huffed and smirked darkly. "Well, I'll be damned; I never thought I'd hear such flatteries coming from you, Kagura. I might cry," she said with a sigh.

"Get over yourself, wolf brat. Besides, I still haven't forgotten that time you tried to scratch my face off." Kagura growled.

She smirked again.  
"Get used to it because you didn't deny shit a second ago, about 'my skill and demonic power'." She sneered.

He rolled his eyes at her gloating, hooking his hand under her right arm. "Give it a rest," he grumbled.  
She blinked and smiled sheepishly up at him.

"I guess I'll leave you two lovebirds alone, before I puke," she mused as she straightened to her feet. "Thanks for not killing me, wolf girl."

"Don't mention it; ever." She replied calmly.

"I want to know something, though, before I go." She looked at the wolf demon; her ears twitched. "Why didn't you kill me earlier; I was unconscious, so you could've simply cut my head off and burned my body with your fire." She asked warily.

She quieted and then huffed, placing her free hand on her hip.  
"I was never taught to strike down an enemy that was already felled by someone else; the fact that you divulged such information to us as well as not bringing danger to the man I love the past few times counting today didn't give me reason to turn you into ashes." She smiled a little, seeing the surprise register in her red gaze before it faded quickly.

She nodded slightly, huffing as she picked a feather from the hairtie in her brown hair.  
"You're starting to sound pretty noble, princess; perhaps spending so much time with him has made you grow up." She flicked her wrist, the feather transforming before she took off into the air, the wind picking up.

Getsu shrugged and waved after her. "If you pull somethin' next time I see you, I **will** kill you, Kagura of the Wind!" She hollered with a smirk.

"Get over yourself, Getsu of the West!" Kagura returned before she disappeared from sight.

"Um, Lord Sesshomaru, correct me if I'm wrong, but did Miss Getsu and Kagura actually become friends?" Jaken wondered of his master.

**_THWACK_**.

"Don't be so damn delusional, frog breath; that'll never happen, not even in ten thousand years!" The aforementioned wolf demon cracked her knuckles, stomping on his head as she returned to her mate's side, ignoring the yelps of pain coming from her 'foot-stool'.

"That lady didn't seem to want to trick us this time; I'll bet it was because she was secretly in love with Lord Sesshomaru." Rin mused lightly.

Getsu halted in mid-step; Sesshomaru stiffened, feeling a dark aura coming from his mate.

"Let's go," she growled, dragging him by the hand further away from the river.

He blinked before a relieved sigh escaped him and he let her drag him away, relieved that she hadn't reacted in the way he would only imagine she would've reacted. _Perhaps Kagura was right, she really has grown up_, he thought.

* * *

A/N: _sorry if this chap is so short. Micro. Word is acting bitchy and slow because i've got 115 pgs worth of this chap stored on the program so i'm going to have to make another document file. don't worry i'm gonna keep the same story on here, i'm just creating a new file on my drive so Word will stop bitching and making it difficult for me to write... stupid program D; _  
_on another note, i started watching _Final Act_, and the first ten minutes are.. interesting! lol kind of fast-moving compared to the original series, but i'm not complaining.. much. getting accustomed to hearing the new voice actress for Kagome, and the new voice actor for Sesshomaru isn't far off the mark with his voice.. i still miss David Kaye.. T.T. he always made Sesshomaru sound sexy. lol_

_that's all for now, so until the next chap, __**review please**__! thanks~_


	27. Giants of the World (R Crashing Down)

A/N: _and so it starts with the _Final Act_ season. i don't have much to put for the moment, except that a relationship will be tested just a little and bonds will grow stronger. enjoy the chap! ^^_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Northern Lights**__" by __**30 Seconds to Mars**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 27: Giants of the World (R Crashing Down)_**

"Master Jaken?" The girl wondered of the imp mumbling to himself about something like 'wasting time' and things of the like.

"What** is it**, girl!?" The aforementioned imp demanded sharply of the ten-year old.

"Why is it Getsu-onee and Lord Sesshomaru are fighting?" She asked innocently.

Jaken ignored her, continuing to mumble to himself, off in his own world.

Rin sighed and placed her chin in her little hand's palm, a slight pout crossing her young face.

"It isn't called 'fighting'; it's called '_sparring_'." The voice of the flea declared at her ear; she looked at the gray-haired Ryoka as she sat on her shoulder, smiling lightly.

"Oh, Ryoka-chan; can you explain to me why Lord Sesshomaru and Getsu-onee are… 'sparring'?" She asked curiously, lowering the flea from her shoulder to hold her in the palm of her left hand.

The flea looked off to the sparring couple, sitting down on the girl's palm.  
"Well, it is something Lady Getsuei learned to do as a child, her father put her through hand-to-hand combat practice sessions since she could walk. Even when she was done with the basic training sessions two centuries later, my mistress would still practice in the early morning, in hopes that one day she would be a strong _okami daiyokai_." She informed calmly.

She tilted her head to one side, brown eyes awed; she looked in the direction the flea's gaze went. "Wow, I didn't know Getsu-onee was that strong! Of course I've seen her fight off a bunch of demons with Lord Sesshomaru, and she's protected me enough times, but I didn't know she was that powerful!" She declared.

Ryoka nodded vigorously. "Oh yes, she's the strongest wolf in the West; she even surpassed her mother, mostly on sheer willpower." She said proudly.

A pair of clawed fingers lifted the flea by the head, making her yelp and flail, a pair of deadpanned silver eyes looking at her. "O-Oh, My lady!" She squeaked.

"Quit tellin' Rin tall tales, you daydreaming flea." She advised patiently, squishing her head and letting her flop down into the girl's awaiting palm.

"Um, Getsu-onee, are you okay?" Rin looked at the older female confusedly as she walked away.

She looked over her shoulder at the girl and flashed a smile. "Perfectly fine," she replied lightly.

He watched her leave and sighed to himself, wiping sweat from his brow. _A great wolf demon?_ He wondered.

Getsu was never one to talk about her family; she didn't want to 'be forever stuck in the past', as she'd said one day before. But the fact that she one day strived to be an _Okami Daiyokai_ proved enough to him that her father's bloodline was not only pure but powerful as well. She had been holding back all this time, which sort of surprised him… Or was it that she hadn't fully utilized the powers bestowed on her from her father's bloodline?

* * *

She folded her arms in the sleeves of her kimono, pricking her ear as the flea pulled the jade green shard from her collar. "Ryoka," she began to scold her, widening her eyes slightly as she noted that the shard's power was weakening. _Why is it weakening?_ She wondered in surprise, taking the crystal in her left hand's thumb and index finger and examining it to see that the power was indeed weakening.

"Sesshomaru, the shard's power, it's weakened." She announced quietly, making his ears twitch.  
He paused, looking at her and the shard's dimmed glow, gold eyes sharp.

"Look, there's a cave up ahead!" The girl declared, making both _yokai_ look at the large opening in the rocky wall on the right.

Her nose wrinkled and she growled softly, stowing the shard back inside her collar, her left hand extending to stop the dragon from moving forward as her right lowered to the hilt of her katana. "Sesshomaru," she began softly.

"Stay back," he ordered quietly, drawing the Tokijin and sending a blast of green energy from the blade at the opening; rock exploded from the green light until a hulking silhouette appeared in the light.

"Rin, stay with Ah-Un." She told the girl, looking at her.

She nodded, holding onto the reins of the dragon. "Getsu-onee, please be careful." She replied.

She smiled gently and nodded a little. "Right," she amended, ears twitching as she looked at the figure, bristling as the dust cleared and allowed them to see the figure was a demon –or something akin to a demon, judging by his stink—with dark green armor encasing his body, his pale face and hair the only thing left unshielded by the strange armor; she drew her katana quietly.

"You're InuYasha's brother, aren't you?" The creature wondered of the dog _daiyokai_.

He scoffed, "I have never considered that lowly half-demon to be my brother; but the fact that you know that means that you're Naraku's heart, aren't you?" He lifted the Tokijin slightly.

"Sesshomaru, you'll regret wielding your sword before meeting me." The creature almost scolded him.

"That I doubt; but you will regret uttering InuYasha's name in my presence, that much I promise you." He bristled, gold eyes sharpening.

The air intensified around them as he lunged, the Tokijin's blade bouncing off the armor of the creature –who, from what she had to guess by the clues, was actually Moryomaru, Goryomaru's new form—as if it was a wooden stick.

_His lunges aren't working_, she thought, huffing before her own aura pulsed and she sprinted forward.  
"Milady, come back!" Ryoka called from sitting atop the girl's shoulder.

"**Blackened Wolf Fang**!" Purple energy screamed at the hodgepodge creature, forcing him back several feet.

She flicked her wrist, glancing at him as he landed lightly next to her. "You can thank me later for saving you from lookin' like an idiot," she mused, smirking.

He made a face, seeing her chuckle softly, brandishing Tokijin. "I had it under control," he sniffed.

"Sure you did, love," she sighed.

"Wolf, just what was that? It almost felt like fire." Moryomaru demanded, glancing at the dented and scuffed armor of his left arm, looking at the wolf demon.

"The name's Getsu; you'll need to remember that before I rip out Naraku's heart and crush it along with your skull." She growled, lunging and swiping at his face with her katana; his right arm lifted to block her, forcing her to fly back and land on the balls of her feet.

"'Getsu'; ah yes, Naraku mentioned you. The Princess of the Western Wolf Tribe; I feel honored to make the acquaintance of such an arrogant brat!" He sent out several beige-looking limbs flying at her.

Blue fire formed in a wide arc as she thrust her left fist into the air, incinerating the limbs on contact, forcing him to draw back; she sprinted forward while he was distracted, leaping onto a tall outcropping and swinging her katana widely from the left. "**Dying Wolf's Blood**!" She shouted; green energy screamed at him.

Her eyes widened as he absorbed the attack; _what!?_ She thought before she was sent flying.

"Getsu-onee!" Rin cried as the wolf was slapped hard across the front and sent flying back, crashing into a part of the rocky wall back-first.

"**DRAGON STRIKE**!" Blue energy screamed at Moryomaru, forcing him back.

His aura pulsated dangerously as he bristled. "You should know better than to lay a finger on the woman I love." He ground out between his teeth, gripping the hilt of Tokijin as he felt her stir behind them.

Moryomaru chuckled. "For a full-blooded demon, I never would have imagined you were so sentimental, Sesshomaru; it's sickening!" White orbs of power formed in a circle and sailed at him, forcing him to draw back before he lunged again.

Tokijin slammed into the right shoulder; his ears twitched as the blade cracked, perking up as the same beige limbs that had flown at his mate earlier coiled around his body, threatening to squeeze the demonic power from him.

The scent of that Kagura woman entered his nose, slightly surprising him. "This scent," he began.

"Hm, so that useless woman died, did she? First she betrayed Naraku, and then betrayed me, all for her freedom; and when she gets it, what does she do? She dies in vain of **that**!" Moryomaru sneered.

The Tensaiga pulsated at his side, making his eyes widen; "**Silence**!" He ground out between his fangs.

"_**NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN TAIHO**!_" A wide barrage of blue fire screamed at Moryomaru, forcing him to let the dog demon go from his limbs; he landed on his feet lithely, looking in the direction his mate had shot the fire from.

She panted, glaring past him at the smoking form of the hodgepodge bastard, wisps of smoke rising from her fists that hung at her sides.

That was the first time she'd cast that attack; and now she knew why! It took a lot out of her energy, giving her reason to not use it ever again unless in a dire situation.

"Are you alright?" She asked him, moving to his side.

He nodded, "I've had worse." He replied, seeing her smirk at the memory.

"Y-you… you stupid mongrel!" Moryomaru sent the limbs flying at her again.

Sesshomaru looked at her.

Getsu nodded slightly, the smirk returning.

They disappeared from sight, surprising the hulking monster, before a blast of blue fire screamed at his back, surprising him again; the dog _daiyokai_ reappeared at his shoulder, the Tokijin stabbing into the hard armor. "Azure Dragon Wave!" The blade shattered in two as he released the attack, leaping away as Moryomaru disappeared in a twister of purple miasma, fading from view.

He scowled down at the broken fang, dropping it.

"Sesshomaru, the Tokijin," she began as she trotted to his side, looking at the broken half of the sword and frowning.

"It was a weak demon fang to begin with," he mused, pricking her ears.

She nodded slightly, sheathing her katana quietly. "Are you gonna be alright without using it? You've used it for so long, it feels," she mused, lowering her gaze at the discarded fang again.

"Hn," he nodded, his gold eyes lessening their hardness as he lifted a hand to stroke her cheekbone with his thumb methodically. "It'd be worse if it was your Mangetsuga. That sword seems more vital to you than it would me," he replied.

She quieted and nodded again, holding his hand to her cheek. "Not as vital as you, though." She mused.

He smirked slightly, recalling the earlier scent that had caught his attention; her silver eyes didn't miss anything.  
She looked at the sky, frowning softly. "She's dying," she guessed.

He nodded, looking at her. "You don't have to follow me…" He trailed off as he saw the determined scowl set on her thin brow, knowing that she meant to go with him despite his orders; he exhaled and shook his head softly. "I hate it when you do that," he grated quietly.

She smiled softly and kissed his palm lightly, letting his hand go. "Get used to it; I don't intend to leave anytime soon, fluff-ball." She winked.

Sesshomaru shook his head again and sweatdropped; _must you call me that?_ He inwardly wondered of her.

* * *

The wind blew softly in the meadow, sending the flower petals to dance.

She looked down at her right palm, recalling the surge of power that had forced out the Nagareboshi-Kaen Taiho; _was that something Father knew I would learn in time?_ She thought.

"Mistress, are you alright?" Ryoka asked her mistress, making her ears twitch as the flea tugged on her silver earring.

Getsu smiled slightly at her. "I'm just a little tired," she said quietly, looking at him standing several feet away and smiling softly, moving forward.

Her foot stumbled slightly, forcing a yelp from her mouth and the flea to cling to her earring at the stumble; he looked over at her and closed the distance between their bodies, catching her in his arms.

Sesshomaru frowned with concern at her grimacing face, brushing locks of ebony from her cheek. "Getsu," he began.

"I'm fine; it's just that _Taiho_ attack seemed to take a lot out of my energy. Don't worry, alright?" She quieted him, her silver eyes stubbornly staring into his gold.

He frowned again and sighed, shuffling to hoist her into his arms, making her squeak and her arms fly to grab his neck, blush staining her cheeks. "You're too stubborn for your own good sometimes," he scolded quietly.  
She looked away, huffing. "Piss off," she grated.

Sesshomaru shook his head again, carrying her bridal-style as he started to leave.

"Wait, Sesshomaru!" The voice of the younger of the two dog brothers barked behind him, making him stop and her claws dig into his collar.  
He scowled over his shoulder at the gold eyes of InuYasha.

"Kagura, did she suffer?" InuYasha demanded quietly.

Sesshomaru looked away, squeezing the thigh of his mate's left leg. "She was smiling." He continued walking, carrying his mate as he went.

Getsu looked over his shoulder at the group and frowned softly, lowering her gaze and resting her cheek against his stole's soft fur.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The small campfire's embers burned vainly.

She stirred, opening a silver eye to the fire; she lifted her head, looking down to see she'd slept with her head on his stole, using it as a pillow.

"You should be sleeping," he said in an almost chiding voice, perking her ears; she looked at him to see he was seated a few feet away, keeping the rest of his stole gathered over his left shoulder like always.

She blushed slightly and sat up, rubbing sand from her eyes. "Why didn't you pull the stole away?" She asked quietly, handing the part of the fluffy pillow she'd used to him and shuffling to sit next to his right.

He fed the flames a thick twig. "You looked comfortable sleeping with it." He mused.

She blushed again, lifting a hand to tuck locks of ebony hair from her face, using the same hand to cover her yawn. "Well aren't you being sweet," she muttered.

He smirked a little at her, his gold eyes leaving the fire. "And you cease to surprise me." He returned as she folded her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

She quirked a brow, tilting her head to one side. "How so?"

"You've been on good behavior lately, considering you didn't attack Kagura that day she came to us injured. I'm surprised, as well as curious." He replied.

She quieted, looking at the fire. "She wasn't going to hurt you, or Rin, so I felt that she was okay. Besides, I know you didn't feel anything for her. I'd have killed you for it for one; and for another, because I've trusted you this far into our journey, so what's to stop me from trusting your fidelity?" She explained softly.

He quieted as well and smirked slightly, lifting a hand to run his fingers through her black hair, gently tousling her bangs. "I'm honored that you trust me with so much, your life included." She blushed slightly and smiled at him. "Though as to you killing me over something trivial, I think the jury's still out on that." He added thoughtfully.

Getsu pouted, shooing his hand off her head and crossing her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "Don't flatter yourself, fluff-ball." She grated with a soft growl.

Sesshomaru chuckled softly at her defensive tone, folding his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to plant a kiss on her forehead. "Then don't be so defensive, tomboy." He quipped.

She blushed and shivered involuntarily, glancing up at his gold eyes and nuzzling into his neck. "Sesshomaru, when this is over, where will you go?" She wondered quietly as his arm wrapped around her small waist and held her close.

He blinked at the sudden question, resting his cheek on the side of her head. "I do still have a home in the West." He mused.

Her ears twitched. "Will you go there?" She asked.

"Hn," he looked down at her. "You're coming with me." It wasn't a question.  
She nodded, laughing weakly. "If it's not a lot of trouble; I mean, I know if we didn't know each other better, you would think I was being a free-loader…" She said sheepishly.

"You're not being a free-loader." He sighed patiently, pricking her ears. "'Free-loading' doesn't describe my bringing you with me to live in the West." He pointed out in the same patient tone, surprising her.

Getsu blushed and nuzzled further into his neck, inhaling his scent. "I haven't belonged anywhere, for the past eight years; sure I lived with Koga and his pack, but that was temporary. So it makes me glad and honored that you're willing to let me live with you in the West." She declared.

Sesshomaru smiled slightly, stroking her hair. "I'm glad to hear that," he replied.

* * *

A/N: _whew, long chapter! lol this is the first chapter in the _Final Act_ season of the anime, so hopefully i did the season enough justice. i'm only at episode ten but so far i love it. even though half of the time i'm watching the eps i think 'god please let there be a shot of Sesshomaru in this episode.. Dx'.. ay, i need help. lol _

_anyway, so this chap has some fluff in it, and a little hinting at the Sessh/Kagura ship.. i don't entirely support these two because i didn't feel that there was a lot of backbone in the canon (or at least none that i saw, i might need to read the manga one of these days..) but i think Kagura's last wish to see Sesshomaru before she died was sweet. i like Kagura as a character, her concept isn't far off of what i'd create for my own OC(s) but i love her personality. RIP Kagura! lol now i really want to make sure Getsu kills that sick bastard, my personal way to avenge Kagura. _

_that's all i've got, so until next chap, __**review please**__! thanks~_


	28. Not 2B Afraid - Cosmos

A/N: _so where we last left off, we said our goodbyes to Kagura. Getsu learned a new technique called '__**Nagarebosh-Kaen Taiho**__', translating to '_Shooting Star Flame Cannon_', an attack that casts a wide barrage of blue fire; but this attack comes with the price of depleting the demonic energy at a faster rate than her normal '__**Nagareboshi-Kaen**__' attacks. Sesshomaru feels sorrow for Kagura's untimely and cruel demise but he promises to take Getsu with him to live in the West when their journey is over and Naraku is destroyed. anyway, that's basically all that happened in the previous chap, so enjoy this one!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

* * *

_**Chapter 28: Not 2B Afraid - Cosmos**_

She looked out at the large body of water, smiling as the wind blew the salty scent of the sea at her face, shaking her hair of the scent; her silver eyes traveled to his stoic form as he looked out at the water that stretched for miles. A sigh escaped her as she shuffled to her feet from sitting on the cliff edge, moving to his side.  
"So did you think of somewhere you're going to get a new sword?" She asked, sitting next to him on the rock.

He glanced at her and then looked at the ocean again, "nothing yet…" He began to answer before a loud growl of thunder sounded behind them, pricking his ears.

Both _daiyokai_ looked to see a jet of electricity shoot down on the ground, before the sight of Totosai the welder stood before them.

"Totosai?" She blinked in confusion.

The welder looked at the dog _yokai_, particularly at the Tensaiga. "Oh, so that's why I'm here." He mused more to himself.

"What do you want?" Sesshomaru demanded frostily.

"I had a feeling something was missing; Tokijin is gone, isn't it?" Totosai wondered.

He scoffed, "even without the Tokijin, my claws would be efficient enough to tear you apart." He lifted a clawed hand for emphasis.

She rolled her eyes, moving from behind him to backhand his head chidingly, making him wince and lower his head; she smiled lightly at the welder. "It's been a while, Totosai; please forgive his attitude, he hasn't been too chipper lately." She apologized with a respectful bow, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

The old welder seemed relieved that the threat had been vanquished, seeing the young _daiyokai_ shoot his female companion a glare which she blissfully ignored, nodding. "Either way, I had no choice but to come here; Tensaiga summoned me." He informed, making their ears twitch.

"'Tensaiga summoned you'?" Sesshomaru and Getsu repeated in unison.

"Don't play dumb with me; I refuse to believe that you haven't noticed the Tensaiga has been disturbed these last few days." Totosai stated moreso to the owner of said fang, seeing him glance at the hilt. "Interesting, it appears you now possess what you've been lacking all this time."

"What do you mean by 'lacking'; Lord Sesshomaru's heart is flawless!" Jaken barked shrilly from his post near the girl.

"He's referring to compassion," Getsu informed calmly, ignoring the tic in his cheek at her explanation.

"That's right; Tensaiga has reacted to the change in your heart," Totosai chimed. "A heart that has felt rage and sorrow not just for yourself, but for another being."

Sesshomaru huffed and turned away, his mind flashing back to Kagura and then to Getsu; he glanced at her calm silver eyes and remembered the anger he'd felt the day she'd fought Koga, the pang in his chest that seemed to be sadness in seeing her shed tears for some silly pride.

"Now you must hand over Tensaiga." The welder declared, perking his ears.

"What?" He turned a gold eye on him.

"The time has come to reforge Tensaiga to use as a weapon." He explained.

_To reforge Tensaiga as a weapon?_ She repeated to herself in surprise.

::::::::oOo::::::::

"Um, Lady Getsuei, w-what is that?" The flea tugged at her earring.

She ignored the flea, looking at the crescent cut into the atmosphere, looking at the darkness beyond the tear. _So _**that**_ is Tensaiga's new power; it looks useful, in a last-minute issue_, she thought, watching the tear disappear before their eyes.

"What just happened?" The imp asked alertly.

"Isn't it obvious; the demon's body was just taken to the underworld!" The welder explained.

"A technique that cuts through to the underworld," the dog _daiyokai_ mused.

He nodded, "It is only possible because Tensaiga is a sword that can connect this world with the underworld; that is why the master of the Tensaiga is able to see creatures of the underworld, furthermore he has the power to bring the dead back to this world after killing those creatures. Instead of doing battle by wounding his opponent, the master of Tensaiga cuts through to the path of the underworld and sends his enemy there for eternity. That is how it is used."

She tapped her chin thoughtfully as he sheathed the fang. "So what's the new power called, then?"

"The name for that technique is '_**Meido Zangetsuha**_'." The welder answered.

He looked at him over his shoulder, looking at his companions and saving his mate's gaze for last. "I'm ready for battle, now that I wield the reforged Tensaiga." He announced solemnly.

She grinned and folded her arms behind her head leisurely. "Well, it's about time you get serious, darling." She said softly.

He nodded as a soft breeze blew around them. "Let's go," he declared, nodding to her.

She followed until she was at his side, the girl, imp and dragon following shortly after the two _daiyokai_.

* * *

The three demons roared their last as they were taken to the underworld through the rip in the atmosphere behind them.

He lowered the blade calmly as the imp praised him almost emotionally. "It seems I have a lot to learn," he mused as he sheathed the Tensaiga.

She nodded, pulling away from leaning against the dragon's side and extending her left index at the remains of the demons, casting their remains aflame with blue fire. "You'll get there; knowing you, you'll get there faster than I would." She mused lightly, smirking at him.

He smirked back, tousling her hair. "Soon enough you won't have to waste your fire on the enemies I cut down," he remarked, clasping her hand in his.

She nodded again and squeezed his fingers. "Finally I can get a break! Geez, bein' your back-up blade has been such a chore," she grated dramatically, placing her free arm over her forehead. "But then again, it's not like I would deny my lord anything he desires!" She cried as she released his hand to throw her arms around his neck with crocodile tears in her eyes, making him teeter a little in her direction.

The girl laughed at her antics.

He made to scold her for almost making him fall before he quieted and sighed resignedly, slinging his arm around her hips and squeezing affectionately. "Honestly," he grated.

"M-Milord, why do you put up with such childish antics!?" The imp yelped as he hopped up and down annoyedly when the two _daiyokai_ turned to lead the way away.

**_THWACK_**.

"That is nothing of your concern, Jaken." He answered stiffly; both wolf princess and girl sweatdropped.

* * *

A/N: _lol i just had to put in some comedy into this chap, it seemed so serious-like.. xD anywho, so now Sesshy's got an upgrade on the sword he used to think was useless, Tensaiga! lol awesome right? _

_the '_Meido Zangetsuha_'.. i did some reference on the first part of the attack, and apparently "__**Meido**__" is Japanese for (according to Wiki) the Buddhist concept of the course of the dead.. in other words, from what i understood by the translation, the passage way of the dead. correct me if i'm wrong, but that sounds interesting, especially for a sword that can save one hundred souls. see, the Inu no Taisho knew what he was doing in entrusting Tensaiga to Sesshomaru! lol _  
_that's all for now, i apologize for the chap being so short! /bows more action coming up so __**review please**__! thanks~_


	29. Not 2B Afraid - the Prophet

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru had learned the latest technique of a reforged Tensaiga called "_**Meido Zangetsuha**_", an attack that opens up a void to the underworld for his enemies. cool right? anyway, Getsu learned a new attack too in the previous chap, called "_**Nagareboshi-Kaen Taiho**_". not much else to put so enjoy the chap! _

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me. _

* * *

**_Chapter 29: Not 2B Afraid - the Prophet_**

"You could at least introduce yourself before trying to kill me." The effeminate-looking incarnation declared from his roost atop the giant white origami crane in the air.

A streak of blue fire flew at him, the streak missing as he moved to the right.

She cracked her knuckles. "Formalities would be wasted on a whore-paint-wearin' vermin like you." She said snidely.

He extended his left hand to defend her, pricking her ears; she made a face and obeyed, stepping back. "I can smell Naraku's scent on you; that's all the reason I and my mate need." He growled.

"I see," he folded his arms in the sleeves of his pale blue _kosode_, "you must be Lord Sesshomaru. And Princess Getsuei of the Western Wolf Tribe."

"Tell me what Moryomaru is doing here." Sesshomaru spat coldly.

"Alas, I am but a distant spectator." The man replied with a sigh.

He glanced at the fallen hodgepodge creature that guarded Naraku's heart, hearing his mate slowly unsheathe her katana and a growl escape her throat as Moryomaru consumed the two demons he'd been hunting and a vibrant green glow pulsated around his large body.

"Getsu, I'll signal you if I need help." He told her, seeing her nod and smile slightly at him before he spirited away.

"He was after the power that connects Kinka and Ginka's demonic energy; not a bad acquisition. Naraku might get more than he bargained for with this one." The man mused aloud; he looked to see that the dog demon had left, meeting the silver eyes of the wolf demon. "Ah, so we're alone at last." He smiled.

She huffed and scowled at him. "I didn't catch your name," she replied stonily.

"Where are my manners? I must apologize!" He laughed in feigned sheepishness and did a courteous bow. "I am Byakuya, one of Naraku's latest incarnations." He introduced.

"'Byakuya', hm? I'll keep that in mind." Her silver eyes left his cobalt stare to see that Moryomaru had disappeared, perking up. "Moryomaru," she began alertly.

"We must part ways for now; I bid you adieu, Lady Getsuei!" Byakuya waved airily before he flew down at the slightly surprised Sesshomaru.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu barked as he cast a wide barrage of smaller origami cranes around her mate; she leaped down from the ledge, sprinting to his aid.

"It's nothing personal; Naraku ordered him to escape, you see." Byakuya declared as he hovered close to the dog demon.

He swung the Tensaiga, a large crescent sucking in the paper cranes, perking his ears as she was nearing his side. "Getsu, stay back!" He snapped, making her skid to a halt.

She scowled at him, watching the cranes be sucked into the void.

"Farewell, Lord and Lady of the West!" The man declared before he disappeared; a jet of blue fire chased after him as he faded from sight.  
She clicked her tongue and glared up at where he'd been hovering, looking at her mate. "Sesshomaru," she began, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

He shook his head. "I'm alright," he said dismissively, sheathing Tensaiga.

She scowled again and lifted her face to kiss him; he blinked back surprise at her sudden kiss, his arm reflexively finding the small of her back as he pulled her close and kissed back.

"Foolish wolf, I could've pulled you into the void." Sesshomaru groaned against her lips, his gold eyes burning.

Getsu smiled softly, stroking his cheek. "You could've brought me back, remember? Besides, at this point in life, I'm not afraid of death. Just of losing you, of losing the one place in the world I belong to."

His gold eyes widened slightly and he closed his eyes, bumping foreheads with her as she folded her arms on the back of his neck. "You're the most stubborn woman I've ever met."

She laughed softly and smiled up at him, curling a finger in a lock of his silver hair. "You love me for it, just as much as I love you, idiot."

He rolled his eyes and smirked at her, stroking her hair. "Shush," he grumbled.

::::::oOo:::::::

Two wide jets of blue fire sailed at the effeminate man, forcing him to leap back onto a low branch of a tree.

He glanced back at her. "I told you to stay back," he reminded.

She shrugged, flashing a smile at him. "Now, love, you should know that I only half-way listen." She quipped lightly.

"Ah, the Princess of the Wolf Tribe, we meet again." Byakuya greeted smoothly.

Getsu smirked darkly. "Byakuya," she greeted, cracking her knuckles.

"Hate to be a nudge, but I must take my leave. We'll meet again, Princess; Lordly Knight!" He said as he lifted into the air on a giant origami crane, disappearing with the wind.

"I'm starting to hate him," he grated as she scowled after his leave.

"You and me both." She replied, looking down at the unconscious boy and sighing as she crouched at his side; _so this is Sango's little brother, I can tell by the hair color_, she thought.

"Kohaku!" The girl cried as she and the imp rushed out from the brush, hurrying to the boy's side.

"Neither one of you touch him, the snakes are poisonous." Sesshomaru ordered the two females, earning a slight look from his mate.

"Okay, but um, what happens if you're already bitten?" Rin asked hesitantly, indicating the violet snake that had its fangs sunk into the right hand of Jaken.

Getsu sweatdropped before a playful grin crossed her lips. "Then we need to cut off the limb." She said in a dramatic tone.

"P-Please do something, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken whimpered.

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and cuffed her gently, making her yelp and rub her head. "Sometimes I wonder who's more of a child around here," he grumbled.

Getsu huffed and stuck her tongue out, looking away. "Jerk," she grated.

* * *

She looked worried and nervous.

A sigh escaped her. "Good grief!" She grabbed the boy by the scruff, making him yelp.

"L-Let me go, demon!" The boy protested, trying to wriggle free from the wolf's grip on his collar.

"Look kid, there's two reasons I am not braining you into the next world right now: one, Rin is worried about you, and if you go die by Naraku's hands I will never forgive you for hurting my little sister; and two, Sango is your big sister, right? She wouldn't want to see your life be taken by Naraku, let alone the shard in your neck being consumed by that bastard so he could be an all-powerful pain in the ass. If you try to run, I swear that I'll knock you into a coma for months. Got it?" She glared into his brown eyes, her nose almost touching his, teeth flashed in her glare.

Kohaku quieted and cut his gaze to the side. "Fine. I understand." He ground between his teeth.

Getsu nodded, reluctantly letting him go and straightening.

Rin looked between them concernedly. "Getsu-onee," she began.

She looked at her and smiled warmly, tousling her hair. "Come on, I'll bet you two are tired." She declared quietly, leading the way after her mate.

"C'mon, Kohaku!" The girl declared lightly as she dragged him by the wrist after the wolf demon.

"Miss Getsu, can I ask you something?" The boy asked, making her ears twitch; she glanced at him over her shoulder.

She shrugged, "shoot."

"Why is my life so important to you? I barely know you, and besides, I was trying to get back to Lady Kikyo; it felt like she was in trouble a moment ago. Aside from the fact that that other demon tried to kill me last time we met," he asked, seeming to ramble a little.

The girl looked up at her friend with those concerned brown eyes.

She huffed. "He's not gonna harm you; he's not as bad as he used to be. Besides, I'm not doing this for you; I'm doing it for Rin. And for Sango." His head shot up at the mention of his older sister.

"Miss Getsu," he began.

Getsu looked at him over her shoulder and smiled slightly. "Just don't leave, okay, Kohaku? It'd mean the world to Rin if you stayed for a day or so," she mused.

Rin beamed at her words, smiling at her friend. "I told you Getsu-onee wasn't mean! And neither is Lord Sesshomaru," she reminded lightly.

"I think the jury's still out on that last part, Rin," she deadpanned.

The boy sweatdropped, "I must agree with Miss Getsu on that, Rin."

She made a face.

The aforementioned dog demon sneezed as he led the way. _Damn it, Getsu_, he thought, rubbing his nose gingerly with a finger.

::::::::oOo::::::::

She smiled down at the sleeping girl, looking up at the boy as he sat on the rock; _poor kid, I wonder how long he's been like this, without his sister around_, she thought, looking at the stars in the sky.

"So how goes babysitting?" He wondered at her side, pricking her ears as she vaguely noted that he'd come closer to her side.

She shrugged, "I was never that good at pup-sitting, but somehow I managed with Korihime, and now with Rin." She smiled at the sleeping human, a soft breeze playing with her black hair.

He noted that her hair had gotten longer since her stay with him, slowly reaching past her curved hips; she hardly wore it in that loose ponytail anymore, now that he noticed. Of course there were some days where she would wear it in a high ponytail, but that was only if it was a hot day; most of the time she kept it down.

"I'm surprised you proved to be so noble towards the boy," he noted aloud, pricking her ears.

She looked at him and smiled, ribbing his side. "I've had plenty of time to put up with you in the past, so at this point in time I'm used to dealing with stubborn children." She teased.

Sesshomaru made a face, his ears twitching. "All that time you were 'putting up with me'?" He wondered in a quiet voice that usually foretold trouble.

Getsu smiled cheekily. "You weren't exactly easy to get along with, at first." She shrugged.

A vein twitched on his brow and he pinched the bridge of his nose, a soft groan escaping him. "Getsu…" He began.

She cocked her head to one side. "Hm?"

He let out a shaky exhale. "You're impossible."

She blinked before she smirked, giggling softly. "Right back at you, love."

* * *

The wind picked up, blowing softly around the grassy field.

Her eyes sharpened as she looked up at the clouds: was that a… _dog demon?_ She stole a look at her mate, seeing his eyes were also on the figure that moved in the clouds.

The Inu no Taisho was dead; or rather, he'd been gone for at least two hundred years! So who was the dog demon they both saw in the clouds?

He rose into the air, perking her ears; her eyes widened as she saw he was beginning to transform, rushing to his side.

"Sesshomaru, wait!" She began alertly, watching the two coiled beasts drop to the ground with an explosion; her eyes widened again as she saw a woman standing opposite him.

The woman looked exactly like him, save that her hair was white and it was kept out of her face by various hairpins.

"Sesshomaru, I thought that might be you." The woman greeted him with a calm and calculating voice, making her shudder as she noted that the woman even sounded like him.

Was this his _mother…?_

"Lady Getsuei, that is the great dog demoness, the mate of the late Inu no Taisho." Her flea squeaked in her ear, tugging on her earring.  
She nodded slightly, looking between the two dog demons, between mother and son.

"I can only assume you have questions regarding the Tensaiga your father left you: I can think of no other reason you came to visit your mother." The woman mused, ignoring the imp's outburst regarding formality.

_So I was right_, she thought.

* * *

A/N: _**CLIFFHANGER**__! rofl nah but srsly.. _

_i almost bust out laughing irl when i realized the effeminate demon was named Byakuya.. i was mentally picturing both him and the Kuchiki Byakuya from BLEACH and thought.. 'oh god this would be too hilarious!' i might do a demotiv. poster on these two in the near future. _

_on another note, i figured the reason Sesshy kept Kohaku around was because 1) for Rin's sake, which i think is cute; and 2) he's the only person around that hasn't had his jewel shards defiled by Naraku so in a way he's preserving the purity of the last free shard.  
_  
_also, we get to see Sesshy's mom! lol i've gotten a few questions on how Getsu will react to his mother and the answer is coming right up in the next chapter of 'We Are'. so look forward to that! xD_

_until then, __**REVIEW PLZ**__. thanks~_


	30. Don't BAfraid - Tempted Fate in the Air

A/N: _the last chap left off on a cliffhanger with the appearance of Sesshomaru's mother. now what will happen: will Sesshomaru get stronger with the reforged Tensaiga? and if he gets stronger, what will the price be for wielding a sword that basically gives you the right to play God? enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

* * *

_**Chapter 30: Don't BAfraid - Tempted Fate in the Air**_

"Sesshomaru, as I recall, you used to despise humans, did you not? And yet here you are with two human children in your company. And if I might add, a wolf demon; of all demons in the world, why a wolf?" She stated, her eyes flashing to the wolf princess at his side and lingering there.

She bowed her head respectfully, slightly surprising her male companion at seeing her show respect before his mother. "I'm Getsuei, Princess and sole heir to the Western Wolf Clan. And I must apologize if I don't seem like the kind of female your son would court, let alone mate with." She declared quietly, keeping her eyes down.

The demoness lifted her chin slightly at her words, smirking. "Well, I can see you are at least respectful; that's very rare, especially in wolf demons. But from the West? Another rarity, considering the Western Wolf Tribe was wiped out several years ago by an enemy of Lord Kiba's."

Her eyes focused on the aura radiating around the petite she-wolf's body, looking at her bowed head of ebony hair.

"You appear to be much stronger than you look, as well. No doubt years spent training has hardened your softness towards the world. Although I do not approve of my handsome son mating with an orphaned wolf demon, I see that he refuses to leave your side and you with him. I just might approve of this unofficial tryst." She deduced more to herself, perking both young _daiyokai_'s ears.  
_  
Mother_, he thought in surprise. She actually _approved?_ Not that he had to go through her consent to court a female, but the fact that she was willing to approve of Getsu took him by surprise.

She looked up at her gold eyes and smiled a little, nodding. "If so, thank you, milady; and if I might add, it's an honor to meet a powerful and beautiful demon such as yourself." She added, straightening.

She smiled faintly, looking to her son again.  
"Getting back to the human children, I suppose you're going to eat them, or share them with your mate as a meal."  
She saw a twinge of annoyance flash in the she-wolf's face before it blanked quickly, silver eyes calm. _So she also has a soft spot for humans_, she thought.

"Tensaiga opens a path to the underworld; surely Father must've told you that at some point." Sesshomaru spoke at last, turning her attention to him again.

She lifted the gold and sapphire pendant around her neck, "oh? He never told me about it; all he gave me was this Meido stone."

"A '_Meido_ stone'?" He repeated.

She lifted the stone a little in her palms, "he told me to use it if you should ever come to me for advice. Oh and he mentioned something else as well; as I recall, he said that using the Meido stone would place you in great danger. But he told me not to be worried or sad about that."  
_  
I would imagine as such, considering his father knew how powerful Sesshomaru would turn out to be one day_, she mused.

"Whatever shall I do; your mother is terribly distressed." She added sardonically.

He sort of scowled. "Your words are hollow as always."

She lifted the jewel in her hands. "Very well then, I shall have you entertain me." A bright yellow light shined from the amulet, before a dark maroon-looking hound creature growled and leaped at him.

"_**Meido Zangetsuha**!_" He swung the Tensaiga at the creature, a crescent void appearing behind the monster.

She leaped out of the way, landing gracefully near the dog demoness. "Milady, I don't mean to be a nudge, but was that necessary?" She wondered, keeping her hand on the hilt of her katana out of reflex.

She scoffed and smirked at the she-wolf.  
"Are you that worried for him? You may not know as well as I, but Sesshomaru is highly capable of protecting himself." She chided.

She nodded. "I know that," she sighed and then looked at the elegant-looking female demon, smiling apologetically. "It's just a habit at this point in time for me to worry for him. I'm sorry if it seems like I don't have faith in his capabilities." She said.

_This girl… does she really love him?_ She wondered, briefly lifting a thin brow at her apology. "Don't apologize for everything; from what you've told me, you are a princess by birthright, a pureblood _okami_ _daiyokai_. There's no need for you to have your tail between your legs, Getsuei." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

She looked at her in slight surprise before she nodded, her gaze flying to her mate's gold eyes. "Yes, Milady," she said softly.

"So this is Sesshomaru's _Meido_; it's nowhere near a complete circle." She said thoughtfully, pricking her ears.  
_  
So he really hasn't mastered it just yet, then_, she thought with a frown.

"It's a hound from the underworld; at present, Sesshomaru, it would appear that your sword can neither do no real harm nor any good." She deduced with the disappointment of a sensei, pricking her ears again.

The hound snarled as it snatched Rin and Kohaku before it turned tail and retreated inside the void; he growled in frustration and made to follow it.

"Wait, Sesshomaru!" His mother barked, stopping him; he looked at her, at the worried silver eyes of his mate. "You intend to take the path to the underworld; for what, to save two human children? You have never been prone to such foolishness!" She demanded.

He huffed. "Nor am I prone to it now, mother; Getsu!" He beckoned, watching her leap after him as he hooked his arm around her waist and flew after the hellhound.

She looked back at his mother before the void closed behind them, looking at him. "Sesshomaru," she began.

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this, especially for being critiqued by my mother." He interjected, perking her ears.

She shook her head and shrugged.  
"She's not anything like Naraku, so I can't complain. Although now I know where you get your attitude from," she added.

His ears twitched and he scoffed, a blush staining his cheeks. "We can deal with that later," he growled.

She smiled and shook her head again, holding onto his waist.

* * *

The boy roused, perking her ears as she looked down at the unconscious girl. "Lord Sesshomaru, Miss Getsu," he spoke.

"Kohaku, I'm glad you're okay," she mused with a smile.

"So it appears that you're able to move, probably because of the Shikon Jewel shard," he returned stoically.

Both _daiyokai_'s ears twitched as a loud crash sounded, the path behind them crumbling into the waters beneath them.

"The path!" The boy gasped.

She looked up as four or five vulture skeletons flew down towards them, straightening to her feet as two snake-like demons rose up from the water beneath them. "Shit," she growled, drawing her katana.

"Take Rin and run," Sesshomaru snapped at the boy, attacking the skeletons as she sliced at the water-snakes.

The rock crumbled as one of the snake heads hit it, making the patch the boy ran on crumble; he yelped fearfully before the dog _daiyokai_ grabbed him in time, his mate at his heels, as they landed on the safer part of the path.

Getsu glared at the murky waters, sheathing her katana and following him as he led the way further down the path. _Does this path really lead to the underworld?_ She wondered, frowning. Maybe it wasn't such a great idea to have come with him… but no, she couldn't turn back now! Not on Sesshomaru, or Rin, or even Kohaku. She had to keep going, for his sake especially.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Rin's not breathing!" Kohaku barked behind them; she stiffened as he also stiffened, his gold eyes widening.

Getsu turned to the boy, helping him set her down. "Damn it, Rin!" She grumbled, listening to her heart and widening her eyes to confirm the boy's claim. "Sesshomaru!" She spoke, her voice risen an octave in panic.

"Don't start panicking now, Getsu." He snapped, making her ears twitch and she cringed a little; she nodded, gulping back the panic that threatened to clog her throat, looking down at the girl and shivering.  
_  
She's gone cold_, she thought, mentally kicking herself for not stepping in sooner to stop that damn hound from snatching her and the boy when she had the chance.

He drew the Tensaiga, inwardly baffled and frustrated that he didn't see any of the imps from the underworld surrounding her body. _What the hell is going on here?_ He inwardly demanded.

A darkness swelled around them, snatching the girl with it.

"Lord Sesshomaru, Rin's been taken!" Kohaku barked before both demons sprinted ahead of him after the darkness.  
_  
Rin, don't you dare die! Don't die on Sesshomaru, and sure as hell don't die on me either!_ Getsu mentally prayed, gritting her teeth.

A bright light shined on them, surprising her; the view of his mother's castle appeared.

'_Please come out, Sesshomaru! If you continue towards me, you'll be able to exit the underworld; however this path I've opened will soon close, and once it does, you will never be able to return to this world!_' His mother's voice declared on the other side.

"She's not _**serious**,_" she began.

"Kohaku, take this path while it is open: Getsu, you go too." He ordered, surprising both boy and she-wolf.

"What?" The boy balked.

"I'm not leaving your side!" She shouted, grabbing his sleeve; he scowled at her.

"Getsu, go. I don't want you to be stuck in the underworld with me, this is my problem…" He began to argue.

"**I don't care**! I'm going with you, Sesshomaru, because I don't want you to die alone! I'm going to fight at your side until we both die and I refuse to wait for you to never return to me!" She snarled, perking his ears.

He groaned and cut his gaze to the side. "Damn your stubbornness," he growled, dragging her by the hand down the path. _I don't want you to die either, you foolish, brave woman_, he thought. _I want you to live!_

:::::::oOo:::::::

Her eyes widened slightly as he cut down the hulking guardian in half, landing amidst the piles of dead humans. _She's not waking up!_ She thought; _I can't hear her heartbeat!_ Her claws dug into the boy's shoulder and she clenched her teeth. "Sesshomaru," she began to let him go.

"Stay where you are, Getsu." He barked, perking her ears; she quieted and obeyed reluctantly, bristling nervously. _Rin, please!_ She thought as the tears began to fall down her cheeks silently.

"Lord Sesshomaru," Kohaku began, perking her ears as she looked past the veil of tears to see he'd dropped the Tensaiga, bowing his head.

She looked at the boy. "Can you stay here without moving?" She asked softly, seeing him nod; she nodded back, wiping the tears from her cheeks to leap to his side.

"Sesshomaru," she began softly as she came to his side, widening her eyes as he clenched his teeth, the salty scent of tears catching her nose.

He was crying? Oh _Sesshomaru_… "Sesshomaru," she declared, louder than before, as she reached a hand to his shoulder.

"**Get away, Getsu.**" He snapped, his voice thick with emotions she shared in.

She ignored him, placing her hand on his shoulder and resting her cheek against his arm, the tears welling again. "It's not your fault," she whispered.

"Yes it is. I let her die for my own selfish sake," he growled sharply, his tone making her flinch.

She sniffed and closed her eyes tightly. "Damn it, don't cry. Please, Sesshomaru," she whimpered, burying her face into his arm as the tears fell.

The Tensaiga glowed a soft white color, pulsing softly, making her ears twitch; the corpses shifted, trying to get closer to the glowing sword.

She bared her teeth and growled at them, his arm holding her protectively to his chest as he stiffened amongst the corpses. "What's happening to them?" She whispered into his _kosode_.

"You all wish to be saved, is that it?" He wondered, adjusting the girl on his shoulder as he lifted the sword from the ground and the blade pulsed again until a bright blue glowing aura appeared around them, making her bury her face into his chest to keep from being blinded, opening one eye to look at the sword in awe.

* * *

"**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_" A wide arc ripped open into the atmosphere, before Sesshomaru, Getsu and Kohaku reappeared from the other side of the void, a still Rin cradled against the dog _yokai_'s chest.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken cried, crocodile tears in his eyes.

"So you've returned." His mother mused aloud at the sight of her son still alive.

He nodded and set the girl down, watching his mate sit next to the girl's body and stroke her hair softly, running her claws through the brown locks; he inwardly winced at seeing a lone tear fall down her cheek.

"What's wrong, Sesshomaru; you look so sad. Tensaiga has matured considerably and your Meido has expanded just as you'd hoped: isn't that cause for celebration?" She wondered, catching him glance at the girl and the she-wolf again between staring at her with his usual blank expression.

"Did you know this would happen to Rin; **did you, _mother_**_?_" He growled in a brittle and cold voice, perking her ears; she looked up from sitting at the girl's side, silver eyes widened a little.  
_  
Sesshomaru_, she thought, her eyes saddening; _I've never seen him shed tears before, and I know he and his mother don't get along much, but to hear him talk to her like that… He must really be shaken up_, she thought with a frown, lowering her gaze to the girl's brown hair.

"If I'm not mistaken, you've already used Tensaiga to revive her once, didn't you? Son, Tensaiga can only call one person back from the dead **_once_**. It only makes sense; life is not meant to be limitless, after all."

She saw his eyes widen alertly at the reminder.

"It's not something that can be revived over and over for your convenience. Sesshomaru, had you come to believe that you were a god, perhaps? You did not need to fear death so long as Tensaiga was in your hands? You needed to learn two things: the desire to save a loved one taken by death and the sorrow and fear which accompanies that loss."  
_  
Sorrow and fear?_ He inwardly repeated.

"Your father wanted me to tell you this: _**Tensaiga is a sword for healing**_. Only a person who values life and possesses a compassionate heart may wield such a power and bury their enemies. That is the requirement of any who wish to be worthy of Tensaiga, a sword that can save lives and condemn others."  
She explained; her gold eyes glanced at the silent she-wolf, seeing her rub her nose gingerly.

"Getsuei is already gifted with both healing and restorative abilities, abilities I would imagine passed down from Lady Saya's bloodline, am I correct?" She saw her nod, a sad glint appearing in her slightly-round face at the memory of her mother.  
"Young wolf, why were you crying just now? I see that you have a strange softness towards humans, particularly that girl." She asked.

She looked down at the girl.

"Rin, she… she's like my little sister. My clan was slaughtered several years ago, and I was the only one who survived; I had a little sister, Korihime, and even though she was a demon like me, when I first saw Rin, she looked so much like my sister… Rin means a lot to both Sesshomaru and myself, she's the reason we're a pack. But now," she trailed off as a slight lump clogged her throat, lowering her gaze to the girl's still face and running her claws through her brown hair. "I feel like I failed Korihime... just like I failed Rin."  
She clenched her teeth and shut her eyes as the tears threatened to overflow down her cheeks again.

His clawed hand stroked her cheek, making her look up past the tears in her eyes to see his gold eyes were on her, looking like melted moons, his lip slightly curled at seeing her in tears; she lowered her gaze and gritted her teeth.

"This is her last chance, you understand?" His mother finally sighed, moving forward to remove her necklace and place it over the girl's head as both _daiyokai_ backed away reluctantly, the wolf leaning against his chest as his left arm was wound around her waist out of habit; a bright glow came from the jewel in the center, the glow turning into a light as it surrounded the girl's body, a heartbeat coming from the jewel.

"Her heart!" She breathed in awe, widening her eyes as the girl's eyes slowly opened to reveal the same innocent brown orbs she had grown so used to. "Rin," she beamed, grinning like an ecstatic teenager, watching as the girl coughed a little, before he placed a hand on her cheek. "Sesshomaru," she began quietly, looking at the relieved look in his eyes and smiling softly, her shoulders sagging.

"Lord Sesshomaru, you're here!" Rin said quietly.

"You're okay now, Rin," he replied in the same tone.

"I am," she nodded.

"Geez, you scared the hell out of me back there!" Getsu laughed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Her brown eyes brightened at the sight of the wolf demon. "Getsu-onee, you're here too!" She smiled, her smile faltering at seeing the wolf demon's tears. "Getsu-onee, you're crying," she noted softly, pricking her ears.

She laughed weakly and lifted the imp by the scruff. "Jaken started it; he stepped on my toe with the staff, the idiot frog!" She declared, quick to cover up for her tears infront of the girl.

Sesshomaru looked at the sight of the imp flailing and cursing her to hell with patient gold eyes before he sighed.  
"Give it a rest, you two." He scolded.

Getsu smiled and dropped the toad imp. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot!"  
**_  
THWACK_**.

A large bump swelled on his head.  
His mother blinked in confusion: both Jaken and Rin sweatdropped: Kohaku blinked a couple of times, surprised that the wolf demon had struck her lover like that.

"What was it **_this _**_**time**__?_" He grated, scowling up at her annoyed face through one gold eye.

"You scared the friggin' hell out of me, you almost **_lost Rin_** for the moon's sake, and the next time you go on a little training camp quest, take Jaken with you and leave him there as **bait**! **_Gods_**, you're the most **_impossible dog_** I've ever **_met_**_!_" She shouted.

He rolled his eyes at her scolding, rubbing the bump gingerly. "You of all people should've figured it out that our journey wouldn't be easy…" He trailed off as she threw her arms around his neck and embraced him tightly, surprising him. "G-Getsu," he began quietly.

"You're the most impossible royal prat dog I've ever met, but I still love you for it." She finished quietly into the collar of his _kosode_, feeling his arms tighten on her waist as he held her.

He smiled slightly, pulling away a little to look at her. "I'm at least grateful for that," he mused in the same tone.

His mother blinked again at the sight; she'd never seen her son react this… warmly, towards a female's embrace, especially towards a female demon's. This wolf, she had changed his life for the better… She smiled to herself.

"I stand corrected; I actually **do** approve." She mused aloud, making everyone gathered there look up.

"Mother?" He began in confusion.

"Really?" She asked, blinking.

"It is obviously apparent that Sesshomaru's life has changed for the better since you've come to know him, Getsuei. I will admit that I've never seen my son look as happy as he has today with you, and with that girl." Her gold eyes turned on the she-wolf and she smiled faintly. "I can only ask that you take care of my son." She added quietly.

She blushed and slipped out of his arms, smiling humbly at the demoness and nodding, bowing respectfully. "I will! I'm very glad that you approve. And I'll stay by his side until the end." She amended, straightening to smile again at the older demon.

She nodded slightly. "Good, as a mother it makes me very glad to hear that!" She said with a kind smile that reminded her of her own mother.  
He smirked slightly over at the two females, inwardly sighing. _I had a strange feeling that they would hit it off_, he thought.

* * *

A/N: _Getsu's reaction to Sesshomaru's mother wasn't what you expected, was it? lol honestly, if you thought she'd react in a different way, message me. i'm curious on what you lot think. also, i apologize if i made Sesshy's mom a little outta character, i wasn't sure how to really put that she approved of Sessh and Getsu, other than a slightly-disappointed-but-still-happy-her-son-is-h appy response.  
_  
_anyway, not much else to put for now. fixing to start writing again for the next few chaps so leave some comments/critiques in a lovely **REVIEW** please. _  
_thanks~_


	31. Iodine: Echoes & Silence

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu took a field trip to the underworld in order for Sesshomaru to learn more about his reforged Tensaiga. this chapter is a two part-session so the end of this ep i covered will be in the next chapter. mostly action scenes going down, so enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**:_ InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me. _

* * *

**_Chapter 31: Iodine - Echoes & Silence_**

She sighed.

Even though they'd saved Rin back in the underworld, he wasn't exactly his usual self. To be frank, he'd been grumpier lately.  
_Geez, I'm starting to wonder if his mother's negativity didn't rub off_, she thought with a scowl, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

"Um, Miss Getsu," the boy spoke at her side, pricking her ears.

She glanced at him, "what's up?"

He glanced at their stoic and currently-grumpy leader, looking at the wolf _daiyokai_. "You don't seem like yourself lately; is Lord Sesshomaru's attitude rubbing off?" He wondered, lowering his voice at the mention of the dog demon (even though he heard him loud and clear, deciding not to react).

She smiled faintly. "Your eyes are good, even for a human. Must be because you've been around demons most of the time," she mused, looking at his long silver hair and sighing quietly. "He'll get over it soon, I know him." _At least I hope so, for Rin's sake… and mine as well_, she thought.

He stopped walking, pricking her ears.

She tilted her head to one side, looking at the strange girl that stood to the side a few yards ahead; her eyes sharpened at seeing the girl's eyes were hollow.

"Lord Sesshomaru, do you want to know the secret of your sword? Do you wish to know what the Tensaiga is lacking?" The girl asked in a monotone voice.

He heard her moving forward, the quiet '_shink_' of her katana leaving the sheath at the hip; he extended his left arm to stop her, ignoring the scowl and reproving noise she made in the back of her throat, his gold eyes resting on the stranger. "You're going to tell me what Tensaiga is lacking; really?" He wondered in a rather sardonic tone.

"Yes; I'm sure it must trouble you greatly." The girl replied. "The fact that Tensaiga's _Meido_ has yet to achieve a complete circle."

"How dare you!?" The imp blurted out behind them.

"Silence, Jaken." He snapped coldly, hearing her sheathe her katana reluctantly, throwing a quick glance over his shoulder to see she was scowling cautiously at the girl. _Well at least she isn't being as annoying as Jaken about this_, he thought.

The girl turned away to walk ahead of them. "If you wish to learn more, it'd be wise to follow me, Lord Sesshomaru." She added over her shoulder.

"Getsu, if something should happen…" He began to warn her as they followed the girl.

"I'm staying at your side." She met his sharp scowl he sent her way with a stubborn look. "Kohaku will protect Rin just fine without my help. Besides, knowing you, you'll need backup; we're stronger together, Sesshomaru." She smiled gently at seeing the defeated look cross his gold eyes.

He cut his gaze to the side and grumbled something under his breath. "I'm starting to really hate when you're right." He grated softly.

She smiled again, taking his hand in hers and squeezing. "Love you, too." She said, watching his gold eyes widen a little at her words; they softened and he looked away again with a small smile.

::::::oOo:::::::

The familiar scent of human stirred her nose; she looked up from following at his side, sniffing the air.

"You smell them too." He mused.  
She nodded, looking over her shoulder at the boy. "She's looking for him," she replied softly, looking away. _Sango, don't worry: Kohaku's safe with us. Naraku can't reach him while he's in our company. I only hope InuYasha sees that, because I'll beat him into a damn coma if he sees otherwise, that idiot mutt_, she thought with a scowl.

"Ryoka," she spoke to the flea riding her shoulder.

"Mistress?" The flea poked her head out from behind her right ear.

"Do me a favor; you smell the half-demon, don't you?" She saw her nod. "Please tell the woman with the large boomerang on her back that her brother is safe with us. She's riding a giant cat demon with two tails." She ordered gently.

The flea nodded. "I will!" She hopped off her shoulder and took off towards the scent of half-demon.

He saw her look forward, nodding a little. "Wise," he mused, pricking her ears.

She smiled up at him, shrugging. "It's all I can do to make sure your brother doesn't act stupid, like he usually does." She replied.  
He ignored the tic in his cheek at the reminder, huffing. "Knowing him," he muttered, hearing her chuckle.

* * *

The male flea yelped a complaint as the female flea tugged angrily at his ear.

The half-breed blinked, plucking the female flea off his shoulder and looking at her as she was held between his fingers. "Aren't you the flea that belongs to Getsu?" He asked with a deadpanned look.

She nodded her head. "I have a message for you, InuYasha! And for the woman with the large boomerang on her back!"

The aforementioned demon slayer looked at the half-breed. "'A message for me'?" She repeated, wondering what it was Getsu wanted to tell her that she had forced the flea Ryoka to be a messenger.

Ryoka squirmed out of the dog's grip, leaping onto his head and flying to land on the open palm of the woman. "Lady Getsuei asked that I tell you your brother is safe! He is with Lord Sesshomaru and my mistress and they can protect him from the half-demon Naraku." She informed.

Miroku, InuYasha, Kagome and Shippo looked at the flea on her palm: so apparently Getsu was on the same thought wave they were on.

Sango nodded, smiling in relief at hearing the message. "Thank you, Ryoka; I'm glad to hear that." She said.

The flea nodded her head and bowed slightly before she hopped away and back to her mistress, leaving them.

"Sango, why do you think Getsu wanted you to know that?" Kagome asked curiously of the demon slayer.

InuYasha huffed, "prolly because Sesshomaru's gonna pull something stupid as usual and he doesn't want us to get in his way!"

"You really think so?" Shippo asked as he looked at the half-demon.

"Why else would he have Getsu send the flea to tell us that?" He argued.

The priestess rolled her eyes. "I'm sure Getsu did it of her own will, InuYasha; just because she and Sesshomaru are lovers doesn't mean she follows every order he gives! She's a wolf demon, not a puppy." She chided patiently.

He huffed in disbelief. "Doubt it; she's been chasin' his tail since that day he tried to kill you with the fake arm Naraku gave him, Kagome. Koga even mentioned it last time that she didn't want to leave his side! She'd do anything for that jerk." He argued again.

"Regardless, whether it was because Getsu or Sesshomaru wanted us to know that about Kohaku, it was a kind gesture. As outsiders we shouldn't be prying into their love life, InuYasha." The monk finally spoke up, being the voice of reason in their group.

The half-demon scoffed at the basic scolding he got from the lecherous monk. "Fine, whatever." He growled.

* * *

"The child disappeared!" The boy barked as they noted that the girl had faded from sight.

A giant ball of violet energy sailed down at the group, perking her ears as both _daiyokai_ looked at the ball.

"Kohaku, protect Rin!" She barked, leaping into the air and slicing at the ball with her katana she'd drawn with a flick of the wrist.  
The ball reformed, surprising her; "_What!?_" She balked.

"Getsu!" He snatched her out of the way by the waist, hearing her yelp and cling to him as the ball sailed at the rock bridge and destroyed it; Jaken fell down into the deep ravine as Kohaku and Rin scrambled onto the back of the dragon.

"Shit, so _what was that_ about it being a _trap?_" She wondered dryly, scowling up at him and inwardly noting that she had to apologize to the imp as soon as they made it out of there.

He returned the scowl before his gold eyes lifted to see the girl child standing atop the high cliff.  
"There you are; **_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_" He commanded as he drew the Tensaiga and opened a void, holding onto his mate tightly with his left arm. "Getsu, hold onto me," he added, seeing her nod and cling to his chest armor as the void opened a hole into the cliff and sucked the air through the hole as he sheathed the fang.

"I see you deliberately aimed at my footing; are you so desperate to learn the secret of Tensaiga that you'd willingly walk into a trap and endanger the woman you love, Sesshomaru?" A demon declared overhead, making both _daiyokai_ look up at the demon to see he had white hair and wore a half-masque that covered the left side of his face, the left eye socket hollow like the girl child's eyes had been.

"Yeah, and who're you to talk, **boy**?" Getsu snapped with a bristle and growl in her throat, glaring up at him.

Sesshomaru landed on the ground, setting her down on her feet. "I don't care who you are; now tell me, how do you know about Tensaiga?" He spat as she cracked her knuckles.

"Because once, long ago, I faced it in battle." The demon replied, making his ears twitch; her eyes sharpened. "Although back then it looked nothing like it does now. When I fought against your father, that sword had a different form." He added snidely.

"Against father?" He growled.

:::::oOo:::::::

"He fought against your father?" She asked softly, seeing him bristle. _If this guy fought the Inu no Taisho so many years ago, then this guy is around our age; or older_, she thought.

He leaped onto the cliff, swinging at the demon with his claws; he dodged, leaping onto a higher ledge.

Blue fire screamed at him as she thrust her foot at his face, katana in hand as smoke rose from her left hand in wisps.

"Your tactics amuse me! You fight without your sword in order to learn its secrets? You underestimate me; a deadly mistake!" He swung the staff at the two _daiyokai_, making them dodge as a torrent of violet energy screamed past them.

Getsu snarled as she leaped at him, her katana clashing with the front of his staff, sparks flying. "Carrying a grudge against a fang for this long of time really makes you look pathetic; tell me why you're after Sesshomaru." She growled coldly, baring her teeth in his face.

The demon huffed and gritted his teeth as she forced her weight against his own, making his heels start to dig into the ground as her aura pulsated angrily.  
"That's none of your concern, wolf! This is a score between I and the Tensaiga and that weak dog you profess to love!" He grunted and forced her back with a sharp thrust, swinging the staff at her head; she caught it, growling and disengaging the staff and katana's blade, leaping to land on a ledge.

"Now you've really made it onto my shit list, insulting my mate in my presence!" She swung the blade from the right sharply; a wide shot of greenish blue energy screamed at him, sending him flying.

Her eyes widened slightly; she looked down at the silver blade of her Mangetsuga. _Mangetsuga, what was that?_ She thought in surprise, seeing wisps of smoke rise from the blade before she flicked her wrist to make the smoke fade into the air.

"Milady!" Ryoka landed on her right shoulder, sucking the blood from her cheek; she looked at the flea.

"Ryoka, the Mangetsuga fired off an attack that was blue-green; what's it called?" She asked alertly.

The flea looked at her katana and gasped.  
"But that's…! The _Wolf's Crescent!_" She squeaked in awe.

"'_Wolf's Crescent_'?" She repeated softly, silver eyes peering through the dust that had risen from her attack on the demon.

"It's an attack that only your father could perform! It's twice as strong as the Blackened Wolf Fang, but not as strong as the Dying Wolf's Blood attack. It only works at full strength when the wielder is furious, reacting with the influx of angered emotions!" The flea explained excitedly.

_So it only works if I get angry, like I did when he insulted Sesshomaru_, she thought, looking down at the blade again.

A wide shot of purple energy screamed at her as the dust cleared; she leaped out of the way, landing nimbly next to her mate on the ground as the energy ball created a void in the rock.

Both Sesshomaru and Getsu perked up alertly; "**_Meido Zangetsuha_**," she breathed in surprise, watching air blow through the crater the ball had created. "It was a complete circle!" _It wasn't as wide of an arc as Sesshomaru's, but it was a circle nonetheless, just as Totosai told us that it should look like_, she thought.

"I'll have you know the **_Meido Zangetsuha_** was originally my technique." The demon declared proudly. "That's right, it was mine until your father stole it from me; he took it along with my face!" He removed the masque to show that the left side of his face above the lower cheekbone was gone, surprising her.

"From what you've said, you've summoned me here not to reveal a secret, but to whine about your technique being stolen, and your face being destroyed!" Sesshomaru growled, sensing his mate's aura pulsate slowly (mostly out of anger and partially out of excitement from battling, if he had to guess).

"Only one practitioner is required for each technique, especially considering Tensaiga is an incomplete blade!" He swung the staff, sending a jet of purple energy flying at them.

A wide jet of blue-green energy screamed at the jet of purple, a small explosion taking place when the attacks collided.

He looked at her in surprise. "Getsu, your Mangetsuga," he began quietly.

"_Wolf's Crescent_," she said softly, flicking her wrist and glowering at the demon.  
"If you've summoned us here just to bitch about losing your disgusting face to a _daiyokai_ like Sesshomaru's father, defeating you will be an honor to me." She thundered coldly, seeing his eye narrow angrily at her words.

"You damn mongrel!" He swung the staff at her again and again, twin jets of purple energy screaming at her.

"Milady, the Mangetsuga; lift it horizontally!" Ryoka barked shrilly in her ear, tugging on her hair.  
She lifted the katana as told, widening her eyes a little to see a wide barrier of blue block the attacks, forcing him to step back in surprise.

_Since when did she get stronger?_ He wondered as she lowered the katana to the side and glared at the demon again. _I can feel her aura pulse at the same pace, but for some reason it feels twice as strong than normal_, he inwardly noted with a slight frown at her sudden surge of power. "Well, what is this secret?" He demanded.

"Still curious, even as you approach your death?" He sneered as he placed the masque back on his head.

"Very well; it appears you have no intention of answering me, in which case you're no longer needed!" Sesshomaru pulled her out of the way in time as he swung Tensaiga at him, the wide arc void appearing behind him.

He simply stood there, holding the staff at his side vertically, "Sesshomaru, your _Meido_ is needlessly large and malformed. You will never be able to create a complete _Meido_ like I can!" He sent a void at the larger one; his eyes widened alertly as the smaller void consumed the larger one.

"It ate up your void," she began softly in confusion.

"Sesshomaru!" The half-demon barked from a ledge overhead.

"Well you sure took a long while!" She hollered, smirking up at the half-demon.

He huffed. "Can it, wolf breath! Yer just lucky I got here in time to save your ass," InuYasha barked, perking his ears as he noticed that her aura had strengthened to be twice as strong than it used to be. _Since when did Getsu become this strong?_

"Shishinki!" The flea at his shoulder barked as he hopped up and down.

_So that's his name?_ She wondered, scowling at the demon and gripping the hilt of her katana.

"Is that the old flea, Myoga? I wasn't sure until now, but if you're here too then there can be no mistake!" The demon Shishinki swung his staff, sending a void at them.

"**InuYasha, move**!" Getsu shouted alertly, watching the group disperse in order to dodge the oncoming void, making a crater in the rocks. "Bastard," she growled, glaring at the wielder of said staff.

"That's it, you're gonna regret that! **Wind Scar**!" InuYasha swung the large fang at him, sending a torrent of demonic wind screaming at the rock, destroying it.

The dust slowly cleared as he drew closer to the site.

"So it **_is_** Tetsusaiga! I heard that he had two sons and now here you are; the old man gave Tetsusaiga to his youngest, did he?" Shishinki drawled.

He looked at the two _daiyokai_. "Hey Sesshomaru, Getsu, what the hell's going on here: why're you fighting with this guy?" He demanded.

"Sesshomaru, don't you find it strange? Shouldn't the **_older brother_** have received Tetsusaiga? Now why do you suppose your father left it to him _instead?_" He sneered, hitting a nerve with the older of the two dog demons, seeing his gold eyes turn stony.

"You piece of shit," she growled, making to attack first when he grabbed her scruff, making her stay back; she looked at him. "Sesshomaru," she began softly.

"He's **mine**." Sesshomaru thundered lowly, making her shiver at hearing how angered and dangerous he sounded.

Getsu nodded, having understood the principle of claiming a kill in her wolf heritage and obeying his word as she sheathed her katana and leaped away to hop onto the dragon's back with Rin, Jaken, and Kohaku.

"Getsu-onee, you're alright," Rin smiled at her.

She smiled at her, nodding. "Yeah, it's gonna be just fine now; Sesshomaru's gonna defeat this guy just like his father did long ago." She replied.

"Are you sure he's going to be able to do it?" The boy asked, looking up at the _daiyokai_.

"'Course he is; if he were weak I wouldn't have come up here to look out for you guys, now would I?" She smirked gently.  
Kohaku smiled a little and nodded, looking down at the ensuing battle.

Getsu followed his line of vision and frowned slightly, gripping the saddle of the dragon. _You'd better win this, you idiot. Myoga said Shishinki was a powerful opponent when your father fought him; I only pray that you're as strong as him to defeat this prick_, she thought.

"How cruel," the boy mused softly as he mentioned that Tensaiga and Tetsusaiga were one, the **_Meido Zangetsuha_** being an attack that Tetsusaiga no longer needed so it was passed on to Tensaiga, as a weaker attack.

He swung the staff at him, sending a wide void at the dog _daiyokai_.

"**_SESSHOMARU_**_!_" Getsu shouted as she leaped off the dragon and flew to aid him, katana flying from the hilt.

* * *

A/N: **DUN. DUN. DUN... AHMGACLIFFHANGER**_! rofl nah but srsly.. will our heroine be able to protect the man she loves? and what else does this Shishinki know about Tensaiga? i'm not revealing much else for the moment._

_until next chap, __**REVIEW PLZ**__. thanks~_


	32. Diamonds: Patience, Grace, Faith

A/N: _where the last chap left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu were pulled into a trap by a demon named Shishinki who has bore a grudge against Tensaiga and Sesshomaru's father for over two hundred years. just what secrets does Shishinki know about the Tensaiga? and will Sesshomaru be able to kill him using the _**Meido Zangetsuha**_?_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**song tribute to Sesshomaru - "__**Numb**__" by __**Linkin Park**__**_

* * *

**_Diamond: Patience, Grace, Faith_**

"**WIND SCAR**!" The torrent of demonic wind screamed at the void, negating it and making the collided attacks erupt in an explosion.

She skidded to a halt, eyes wide in surprise; _Tetsusaiga deflected the _**Meido Zangetsuha**_!_ She thought, drawing closer to the half-demon's left. "InuYasha," she barked, perking both brothers' ears.

He scoffed and smirked a little at her. "You can thank me later for saving your idiot mate," he mused, perking her ears.

She huffed and smiled wryly, nodding. "Thank you." She ignored the scowl he sent in her direction and lifted her katana reflexively.  
"Sorry I jumped in; you scared the hell out of me for a minute back there, almost thought I was gonna have to go into the underworld to save your ass." She apologized to him, perking his ears again.

He looked away as the dust cleared, keeping the scowl on his face. "Don't apologize; I suppose you have a right to worry about me." He dismissed, perking her ears.

She smiled softly, huffing again. "'Suppose' my ass; I told you before, and I'll say it again. We're in this together, even if we die in battle." She growled softly.

The half-breed stuck his tongue out. "Geez, now I'm glad I don't hang around you two; all that romance shit is making me nauseated!" He grated.

She shot him a scowl as his brother sent him a death glare. "Shut up, it's not like you don't think the same when it comes to Kagome." She returned, seeing him stiffen as his cheeks blazed a reddish pink.

"P-piss off, princess." He growled.

She snickered and smirked cheekily.

The demon landed on a higher ledge. "So, half-demon, lending a hand to help your older brother, are you?" He wondered snidely.

A loud metallic '_klang_' rang out in the air as her katana clashed with the front of his staff; his dark eye widened alertly as her silver eyes bore angered holes into his skull.

"You're just begging to be ripped to pieces by my fang, aren't you?" She sneered coldly, baring her fangs in anger as her aura swelled and fluctuated in her anger, making a soft purple glow emanate around her petite form.

_Her aura, it's powerful!_ He thought in surprise, watching the glow become thicker and stronger before he was forced away by the sheer power of her aura.

"**Getsu**!" He snapped at her from below; she ignored him, knowing he was going to scold her later for that, lifting her katana. "What happened between you and Sesshomaru's father over two hundred years ago is in the past, and your constant bitching about how he wronged you is really starting to piss me off!" She swung the katana in a sharp left swing; purple energy screamed at him, sending him flying back and onto another cliff.

"Hey, Sesshomaru, since when did Getsu get this powerful? I can even smell her power from that katana of hers," InuYasha asked curiously, his gold eyes trained on the female wolf _daiyokai_ that waited for an offense from Shishinki.

Sesshomaru scoffed dismissively at him. "The Mangetsuga; that's what her katana is called," he growled, glancing at the dust as it slowly cleared around the attacked demon.

_So along with learning the Wolf's Crescent, I can also summon an attack without chanting the command_, she thought, smirking a little. _Talk about convenient… Were you able to do the same once you mastered Mangetsuga, Father?_ She wondered, looking at the clear sky around them, the wind playing with her ebony hair that blew freely at her back.

_Mangetsuga?_ The half-breed inwardly repeated.

Shishinki roared as he flew at her, sending several voids at her; she dodged most of them, bringing up the katana horizontally to block the last two; he swung the staff at her head when he thought she didn't see.

Getsu rolled under him, swiping at his back from behind with the blade; blood flew from his back's injury, making him grunt in pain and stagger a little.

He glared at her over his shoulder; she panted slightly, glaring back, hands tight on the hilt of her Mangetsuga.

"I was wondering when I'd land a hit," she mused dryly, smirking.

"You stupid wolf, can't you see that I can't be defeated?" He stabbed the blunt end of the staff through her right side, surprising her; he smirked and tossed her down from the ledge.

Sesshomaru caught her in time, his lip curled in anger, looking down at her grimacing face. "Getsu," he declared, feeling warm blood seep onto his _kosode _sleeve from her injury.

Getsu smiled up at him, wiping blood from her lip. "I'm okay, just a scratch." She replied quietly, perking up as he carried her to where the humans were at. "S-Sesshomaru," she began alertly as he set her down against a boulder.

"Stay here. You've done enough," he ordered, his left thumb stroking her cheekbone gently, seeing her silver eyes widen a little as his gold eyes softened at her awe. "I'll come for you." He promised in a softer tone, releasing her cheek to return to the battle.

"Sesshomaru!" Getsu began to get up and grimaced, holding her right side gingerly, leaning back into the boulder. "Shit," she growled.

"Getsu!" Kagome declared as she came to the wolf demon's side, supporting her right side as Sango, Miroku and Shippo huddled around the injured she-wolf.

"I'm alright, Kagome." She assured her, smiling firmly, lifting her hand from her side as she felt her cells regenerate inside her, a growl uttered between her fangs.

"But Getsu," the priestess began worriedly.

"I've gotta help him, before he gets himself killed." Getsu began annoyedly, straightening to her feet and making to go back to the battle.

The monk's staff prevented her from moving forward, surprising her; she looked at his determined blue eyes and scowled.

"Miroku, please, I have to help Sesshomaru…" She began to protest.

"Sesshomaru ordered you to stay back." Miroku stated, seeing her bristle visibly.

Getsu clenched her teeth and scowled past the barricade his staff presented, her silver eyes tightening. "That won't matter if he gets killed by that Shishinki prick!" She argued.

"He told you he'd come back, remember? Sesshomaru made a promise to come back for you! Can't you see that he hates it when you get hurt? He wants to protect you, Getsu; that's why he ordered you to stay here." The monk retorted sharply, perking her ears.

Her eyes widened at his words; she balled her hands into fists, looking away. "I hate feeling like a damsel, that's the reason I want to fight. I don't want him to get hurt either." She whispered, sitting down against the boulder in reluctant defeat. _I love him too much to ever let him die when I can do something about stopping it_, she thought, tuning in to what all Shishinki was saying.  
_If that's the case, why didn't his father make Tensaiga just as powerful as Tetsusaiga? Why did Tensaiga have to be at a disadvantage compared to the greater fang that was passed down to InuYasha?_ She wondered, looking past the humans at her mate. _Sesshomaru, you've gotta be stronger than this; I know you can be stronger than this! Don't let me down, please_, she silently prayed.

"To the underworld with you!" He thrust the staff at him, sending a void at him as he flew at him with his claws bared; he dodged it, leaping to the side.

"Shishinki's _Meido_ is small; he just has to avoid it!" The monk noted aloud.

"So long as the _Meido_ don't get any bigger than they are, he'll win. Sesshomaru's not a _daiyokai_ for any apparent reason," she mused as she came to stand next to his right, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

"A '_daiyokai_'?" The priestess repeated.

"A demon that has the strongest power in his bloodline; I should know, I'm the same." She explained quietly with a nod. "My father was a _daiyokai_, the strongest wolf demon in the West, and he passed the same blood to me."

"Really? No wonder you smelled like you'd gotten stronger, Getsu-onee," the kitsune piped up, sniffing the air for emphasis.

She smiled softly and tousled his red hair, looking at the battle and frowning a little, watching him continue to dodge the blows, the frown deepening on her brow. _Don't let him get to you, Sesshomaru; please!_ She thought, gritting her teeth as she saw that he was letting his words sink in fully into his head, his movements becoming more predictable now that she noticed it. "Shit," she growled softly.

"I must tell him what my lord really had in mind! It's only right that he know!" The male flea chirped as he hopped up and down on the girl's shoulder before he seemed to calm, earning a look from the wolf _daiyokai_. "Ah but sadly, I lack the means to approach." Her ears twitched. "Could it be the end for him?" He wondered dramatically.

"I can help with that." Miroku plucked the flea between his fingers, holding him up.

**_THWACK_**.

"Get in line; he's **my** mate, not **yours**." Getsu grated as she held the flea between her claws, snatching one of the sutras from his collar and attaching the flea to it. "Now go long, Myoga!" She threw the sutra and flea into the fray.

"Did you really have to be so forceful like that, Getsu?" The monk whined as he rubbed the bump to his head gingerly.

"Get over yourself, if anyone was to send a message, it'd be me." She stated calmly, folding her arms as Shippo, Sango and Kagome sweatdropped.

* * *

"Lord Sesshomaru, please, you must listen to what I have to say! I came over because I couldn't stay silent any longer!" The flea hopped onto the shoulder of his master, hopping up and down to get the older dog demon's attention. "Lord Sesshomaru, you were not sighted; your father bequeathed Tensaiga to you because of who you are! **_Meido Zangetsuha_** is an attack that sends your enemies directly to the underworld; it is not a technique that just anyone can use!" He cried.

"That is quite true; your half-demon brother wouldn't be able to endure the demonic energy from the underworld." Shishinki amended calmly.

InuYasha sniffed at the insult.

"Knowing that you were a true demon, your father was betting on your strength, Lord Sesshomaru! Y'see, he believed that you would eventually master **_Meido Zangetsuha_** and be able to use Tensaiga as it was originally intended to be used! It was for…" Myoga began again, continuing to hop up and down.

"And you would have me believe that was his reason for casting Tensaiga off of Tetsusaiga, would you?" Sesshomaru snapped, silencing him.

Both master and vassal looked at him in confusion.

"That is a good question; if his faith in Sesshomaru was so great, could he not have bequeathed Tetsusaiga to him along with **_Meido Zangetsuha_**? He certainly could have, if he thought that you were promising enough." The demon mused.

"W-well, you do have a point, there," the flea grumbled as he hid in the bangs of his master, earning a look from the aforementioned half-breed.

"Ya can't let him win the argument," InuYasha scolded as he squished the flea between his thumb and index finger.

"At this point, I'm starting to doubt him myself," Myoga whimpered.

"Silence, Myoga." Sesshomaru ordered coldly before he lunged at Shishinki again.

Getsu watched alertly as he narrowly escaped one of the voids being sent at him, the void missing his left arm by an inch, tearing at his sleeve. "Sesshomaru," she began alertly, widening her eyes as he slammed his right fist into Shishinki's missing left eye, shattering the masque, before he fell back and landed lithely.

"The secret of Tensaiga isn't meant to be uttered by a mouth as wretched and twisted as yours," he stated stonily, standing over the angered demon. "Every word you speak brings shame to it."

_Is he finally starting to think with his head?_ She wondered as the demon growled and sat up a little before getting to his feet using the staff.

"Silence you insolent brat; I'll make you regret damaging my face! **As your father did**!" He swung the staff at him.

"Sesshomaru!" InuYasha shouted as he ran forward.

"I thought I told you not to interfere!" Sesshomaru snarled at him, watching the Tetsusaiga pulsate before it took on that crystalline sheen to the fang.

"**_Would you two stop arguing for once and just kill this guy_**_!?_" Getsu shouted loudly behind them, angered and frustrated that she couldn't take part in the battle as her voice echoed off the rocky cliffs around them.

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at her; she was clenching her fists that shook, annoyed tears starting to well in her silver eyes, scratches and smudges of dirt written on her pretty face; he inwardly grimaced as the sight of the scratches and dirt reminded him of the day she'd fought Koga, a growl rumbling in his chest.  
_I couldn't protect her from getting hurt that day, but I will protect her this time. I won't allow Getsu to shed more blood over this pathetic wretch_, he inwardly vowed.

"**Adamant Barrage**!" InuYasha sent crystalline adamant shards at the voids; both he and Sesshomaru leaped into the air to dodge the oncoming voids that took the attack.

The Tensaiga pulsated at his hip as Tetsusaiga also pulsated in his hands.

"The fangs, they're pulsating!" Getsu breathed in surprise, her keen hearing catching the pulse that came from the fang her mate wore at his hip.

"There is nowhere for you to run now; prepare to vanish to the underworld!" Shishinki declared as another void formed in the center of his staff.

"Sesshomaru, draw the Tensaiga, **quickly**!" Getsu shouted to him, seeing him glance back at her and nod slightly. _Come on, if Tensaiga pulsed while being that close to Tetsusaiga, then that means something's about to go down! Sesshomaru, please_, she thought, clenching her fists.

"Are you ready? Now you and your father's swords will spend the rest of eternity in the underworld!" He swung the staff, sending multiple voids at the brothers.

"InuYasha!" Kagome cried.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin, Kohaku and Jaken shouted in chorus.

"**DRAW IT, SESSHOMARU, PLEASE**!" Getsu screamed, their combined voices bouncing off the walls of the rocks around them.

"I would never allow my life to be taken by someone like you, Shishinki!" Sesshomaru shouted as he drew the Tensaiga and sent out his own void; the void consumed the multiple ones, looking as wide as the moon.

Her eyes widened in awe. _He did it! He mastered the_ **Meido Zangetsuha**! She thought, watching the void enlarge and eclipse the brothers in a darkened light as it swallowed up Shishinki along with the smaller voids, before it faded from sight, leaving two twin peaks cut down in a curved point.

"Getsu-onee, didja see? They did it…!" Shippo began to declare before the wolf demon sprinted past him and the humans at the two brothers. "Getsu-onee!" He barked.

::::::oOo::::::

"InuYasha, whether you like it or not, we are destined to fight against each other until we die." He stated stoically, turning to walk away.

"**_YOU IDIOTS_**!"

**_THWACK_**.

**_THWACK_**.

"**OW**!" Both dog demons staggered at her punches, twin bumps on their heads swelling largely.

The humans sweatdropped.

"Idiot half-breed, I have half a right mind to use the damn Meido Zangetsuha on you and send you into the underworld with that sick fuck you just killed! **_AND YOU_**_!_"  
She rounded on her mate as he rubbed the large bump gingerly, seeing his gold eyes scowl at her; hot tears welled in her eyes and slowly spilled down her cheeks.  
"Don't you **EVER** scare the fucking hell out of me like that again! If I didn't love you so much I would've beaten you into a damn coma for the rest of eternity!" She shouted annoyedly, her voice thick with emotion and starting to crack.

He started to argue before seeing the tears reach down to her jaw, quieting; he looked down, mentally cursing himself for making her worry and shed tears.

"What the hell's the big-friggin'-idea, braining me like that!?" InuYasha blurted out indignantly, quieting when Kagome placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head for him to be quiet; he caught the scent of her tears and clicked his tongue, looking away.

"Let's go," he spoke quietly, taking her hand and taking off.

She looked at him and nodded, holding onto his hand as they fled the ruins.

* * *

A/N: _and so the fight is over. even without the Tetsusaiga being so close, will Sesshomaru be able to perform the same moon-sized _**Meido Zangetsuha**_? and what about Getsu; is she furious with Sesshomaru? _  
_  
not much else to put, so until next chap, __**review please**__. thanks~_


	33. Get Well

A/N: _okay i know i sort of left you guys on a cliffhanger with chap 32, i apologize for that. /bows i'm making up for it in this chap so enjoy it! ^^_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Get Well**__" by __**Icon for Hire**__**_

* * *

_**Chapter 33: Get Well**_

The embers burned vainly.

"I still do not see why Lord Sesshomaru wanted to stop!" The imp rambled more to himself as he sat near the girl and boy.

"Master Jaken, isn't it obvious? Miss Getsu is upset with Lord Sesshomaru; besides, she's still recovering from getting hurt by Shishinki." The boy reminded quietly, trying not to be too loud for fear of incurring the wrath of one of the two _daiyokai_ that were scouting the small campsite they'd formed.

The girl looked off to where her two companions had left, frowning. "Kohaku, do you think Getsu-onee will be okay? She's been awfully quiet since we left the rock ruins," she asked her friend.

He looked at her and smiled slightly. "She's going to be okay, Rin. You know her better than me, so y'should know that she'll bounce back from this." He replied lightly.

She looked at him and smiled, nodding. "Right!"

:::::::oOo:::::::::

She stared up at the thin crescent in the sky, surrounded by millions of stars, holding her knees to her chest; she'd technically gone 'scouting' for trouble, but in retrospect she'd just wanted to get away for a little bit.

It wasn't like she was angry at him; she was just worried, that's all.

Her silver eyes lowered to the black katana at her left side, lifting the sheathed fang and running her claws along the teal cloth of the hilt.

"Father, you knew I was going to get stronger than I already was, when you were still alive. Did you mean to leave me with the need to learn more about Mangetsuga, as well as my wolf fire? Or is this fate playing some sick game?" She whispered to the heirloom, lifting it vertically and resting her forehead against the cool metal of the hilt, closing her eyes.

"Getsu," his voice sounded behind her, quiet and out-of-character hesitant.

She lowered the sword and placed it down on the ground. "Are we leaving again?" She asked.

He wordlessly moved to her side, sitting down at her right with quiet shuffling.  
"No, we need to talk." He replied.

She held onto her knees again, scowling faintly.  
"I don't want to talk." She stated softly.

His gold eyes lingered on her for a moment longer before they lifted to stare at the crescent her silver eyes had abandoned, a soft exhale escaping his lungs. "You're angry because of what happened with Shishinki." He mused.

The scowl deepened infinitesimally. "I'm not angry." She replied, her voice near a growl.

He smiled a little at her defensive voice, looking at the stars. "I remember when you basically said the same thing to me, a few years ago. That was the first time we kissed." He noted quietly, seeing her ears twitch out of the corner of his eye.

"The only difference is that I didn't stop you from acting like an idiot this time around," she grumbled, a slight heat dashing across her cheeks at the memory of the first time he kissed her, her shoulders hunching.

He nodded a little, his gold eyes returning to the moon, before they lowered from the heavens to her face. "I don't think I've ever noticed the crescent on your cheek; this's the first time I noticed it." He noted.

She bristled again at the mention of her birthmark.  
"What's got you so curious on it?" She demanded quietly.

He shrugged. "It makes you look more beautiful." He mused thoughtfully, seeing her ears twitch again.

She spluttered a huff out of reflex, closing her eyes. "Don't try flattering me now, idiot dog." She growled.

He smiled again, the smile widening a bit, at having her blush and act like her usual tomboy self, dragging the claws of his left hand to run through her ebony hair that fell down her back gracefully. "Your hair's gotten longer, as well. It's almost as long as mine." He added softly.

She furrowed her brow, closing her eyes tighter. "Might have to cut it, then," she muttered.

He shot her a look. "Don't even think about it." He warned, perking her ears.

She opened one eye to look at him sideways. "Don't get huffy; it's not your hair I'd be cutting." She sniffed.

He shook his head softly, exhaling and looking up at the crescent again. "You're one stubborn woman, no matter what I say or do." He grumbled.

She smirked faintly, lifting her chin from being nestled in the space between her chest and gathered knees, looking at him.  
He really was trying to be better, she realized; he normally didn't come groveling to her like he had done tonight, he was trying to be the bigger person.  
She lowered her gaze, a soft breeze catching at her hair. _Stupid me_, she thought.

"I'm not angry, okay? I just… I felt so useless, standing on the sidelines like that." She admitted quietly after another long moment of silence, making his ears twitch.

He looked at her, lowering his gaze. "You were injured; I didn't… I don't ever want you to shed blood. Especially for my sake." He returned in the same tone.

"Sesshomaru," she began before quieting and frowning softly.  
"That man, he insulted you, he even dishonored your respect for your father in saying what he said about the Tensaiga. All of that had my subconscious screaming for me to kill him. You're my mate, the only man I've ever really loved, and the only man I've ever wanted to fight for… the only man I've ever wanted to die for." She whispered the last sentence, seeing his ears twitch again.

He scowled hard at her, bristling as he visibly cringed at hearing that she'd be willing to die for him.  
"Getsu, you don't understand: **I don't ever want you to die**. I love you too much to ever let someone as vile as Naraku rip you apart before my eyes. When you followed me into the underworld the other day, I was angry that Rin died," he winced a little at the reminder, seeing her shudder, "but most of all I was angry at myself for letting you cry. I've wanted to protect you ever since that day you came back to me beaten and scratched by that damn wolf. I still want to protect you." He stated firmly, a growl brewing in his throat.

She looked up at him, sniffing and rubbing her nose absently, looking down at her knees. "I guess we're both too headstrong for our own damn good," she mused with a soft and weak laugh.

He soaked in her words before he chuckled despite himself, looking at the moon.  
"I suppose so." He glanced at her. "But if it lightens things, I thought your new powers were incredible. I've never seen you fight with such power." He mused, seeing her cheeks color a shade of darker pink at his compliment.

She smiled softly, lifting her gaze to meet his gold eyes. "I still think you're an idiot for being so bull-headed today." She remarked.

Sesshomaru smirked softly, lifting his left hand to tuck locks of hair behind her right ear. "I suppose I'll be paying for that later," he guessed, watching her release her knees to lean against him.

Getsu nodded, looking at his ripped sleeve and frowning a little, dragging a claw along the muscles in his left arm. "Damn right," she mumbled.

His gold eyes softened again and he folded his arm around her waist.

She smiled again, closing her eyes and snuggling closer to his chest.

:::::::oOo::::::::

She deadpanned, "tell me what you know."

The flea hesitated, seeming to twiddle with two of her four arms. "Lady Getsuei," she began.

A patient exhale escaped her; she plucked the flea from her spot on a small rock, squishing her head between her claws.  
"You knew Mangetsuga had four attacks instead of just the two my father told me about. Tell me now and I won't squeeze the blood out of you." She spoke in a quiet and low growl, a vein twitching on her cheek.

She flailed as crocodile tears welled in her eyes.  
"Your father wanted you to learn them on your own, it was not my doing, and I was just following orders! Lady Getsuei, please don't kill me!" She cried shrilly, yelping as the wolf dropped her at last, falling into her outstretched left palm.

"So he did know, he just didn't tell me at the time. Did he know about the Nagareboshi-Kaen Taiho as well?" Getsu asked in a more patient tone, looking at her as she regained herself.

Ryoka nodded, "it was reputed that only your father was able to use the Nagareboshi-Kaen Taiho; he never wavered while using the attack, thus making him out to truly be…"

"A powerful _Okami Daiyokai_." Sesshomaru finished calmly from standing near his mate as she crouched before the flea, arms folded in his _kosode_ sleeves.

She smiled up at him, looking at the flea again.  
"What are the two new attacks called? One of them casts a barrier when I lift the blade horizontally, and the other you mentioned is called '_Wolf's Crescent_', which is an attack that isn't as strong as the Dying Wolf's Blood but it's stronger than Blackened Wolf Fang." She asked.

The flea tapped her chin with a hand, thoughtful. "Lord Kiba called the barrier-casting attack '_Divine Barricade_'. Also, it is a surprise to me that you managed to cast the attacks without chanting the command the other day." She replied.

His ear twitched at the mention that she was able to wordlessly command her fang to attack. "That would explain as to why you were able to block Shishinki's void attacks. It appears that even though your father told you little about your Mangetsuga, you've become stronger just learning how to wield it and use the attacks that come with the fang." He mused, perking her ears.

She looked at him and nodded, smiling, lowering her gaze to the katana secured at her left hip. "Apparently so," she amended quietly.  
_I'll be able to defeat Naraku surely with these new powers_, she thought, smiling again. "Sesshomaru, you know that incarnation we saw last time, Byakuya, right?" She wondered.

His ears twitched and he grumbled at the mention, "hn. What of him?"

"He's the last incarnation; Kanna and Moryomaru are gone. We'll need to be a little lighter on our toes around Byakuya; I would imagine Naraku created him to be stronger than Kanna and at least stronger than Moryomaru." She mused softly.

He glanced over at the boy as the girl was talking with him and laughing, looking at his mate. "Hn." He nodded.

* * *

The welder balked at the sight of a chunk of his 'roof' missing. "M-my home," he whimpered.

"Did you really think you could escape, Totosai?" He demanded impatiently behind him.

She exhaled patiently, head drooping. _Honestly, you're never going to let it drop that he was the one who forged the Tensaiga and gave it to you when you should've gotten the Tetsusaiga are you, Sesshomaru?_

"Well Totosai, you've known about this from the very beginning, haven't you?"

"Of course I did; after all, I was the one who separated Tensaiga from Tetsusaiga and forged it into a weapon all those years ago, Sesshomaru. So what're you going to do about it; kill me?"

He lifted the blade, earning a look from his mate (which he ignored).

He lifted a hand in surrender. "Hold it! Let me guess, you met Shishinki, right? Look here, I don't know what kind of nonsense that troublemaker Shishinki told you, but you were able to master **_Meido Zangetsuha_**, were you not? Your father was correct in judging that you would be able to do so; you've lived up to his every expectation."

He sheathed the fang reluctantly, keeping the scowl on his face. "Totosai, do you honestly believe I don't know what the next step in the process is?" He wondered with a scoff.

"'Next step', you say?" His eyes squinted.

She looked between the welder and her mate, sighing. "Well if you're not going to kill him, at least keep your fangs in your mouth." She advised patiently, elbowing her companion.

He made a face, huffing. "Hush," he grumbled, ignoring the smirk on her lips, looking at the welder again. "Tetsusaiga has the ability of stealing techniques from its foes; Tensaiga, on the other hand, has no such ability. Both of know Father's true intention from the beginning was for me to perfect **_Meido Zangetsuha_** but only so that Tensaiga could be absorbed back into Tetsusaiga… that is the truth, isn't it?" His lip curled a little at the truth of his words, gold eyes sharp.

"Ah, wow I'm impressed!" Totosai said in mock surprise, earning a sweatdrop from the she-wolf. "You figured that out all by yourself, huh? Well, you're exactly right; are you disappointed?"

Sesshomaru scoffed, "I'd be disappointed if Tetsusaiga could actually cut me down. But that shall never happen!" He made to strike the welder again.

"Whoa there!" He slammed the hammer onto the ground, making flames erupt around the dog _daiyokai_ as his mate hopped out of the way in time.

"Sesshomaru," she began.

"Stay back," he declared, pricking her ears; she frowned and reluctantly obeyed, huffing.

"Say, Sesshomaru," he began in a sing-song voice, "why do you think your father set up your swords this way in the first place, huh? Do you really believe he favored InuYasha and left you with the short end of the stick, so to speak? Either way, your thoughts are too clouded right now to see the truth! As long as you remain so narrowly-focused on the heirloom Tetsusaiga, you will never understand your father's long-term plan!" He declared.

She leaped over the flames, landing lithely on her feet in the center of the flame wall, the flames changing from orange to blue before they dissipated, smoke rising into the air; her eyes looked at his half-way raised Tensaiga and she straightened, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "You're welcome." She nodded, looking over her shoulder. "Totosai, thanks for the info." She added with a light smile.

His brow twitched annoyedly; _good gods, why the hell is she thanking him for telling me something I already knew?_ He inwardly demanded, scowling at her.

"It's good to know that at least one of you isn't bent on killing me for my words, Miss Getsuei," the welder seemed to smile. "Sesshomaru, abandon these attachments; abandon your attachment to the sword as well as your hatred towards InuYasha: once you do, you may very well surpass your father!"

_So that's all it takes: closure?_ She thought.

He grumbled something under his breath as he turned away. "We're going," he sounded brooding again.

She nodded, turning to bow slightly to the invisible welder before she trotted to his side.

"Sesshomaru," she began again once they were far enough away from the volcanic land and had taken to the sky, the wind playing with her black hair and his silver hair as well, her silver eyes looking up at him.

"What is it?" He asked stiffly.

She looked at the clear sky around them. "You can do it, get this closure that Totosai told you about. I know you will." She smiled softly, "you have to, for your sanity's sake."

He looked at her in surprise, quieting and looking down at the trees they passed by. "How exactly do you still manage to have faith in me like that? You know my feelings towards the Tetsusaiga, towards InuYasha." He replied softly.

She smiled again. "I do, yes, but I know that you're strong enough to overcome this, you're strong enough to overcome Naraku." She stated, seeming to surprise him again.

He huffed softly. "Aren't you going to mention that I can't do it without you at my side?" He wondered, seeing her ears twitch.

She shrugged absently. "I just say those things because it makes me feel like I'm needed, y'know?" She mused, her voice quieting.

Sesshomaru looked at her sharply, looking away and scowling. "You **are** needed, you foolish wolf." He stated, perking her ears.

Getsu blushed slightly, looking at him with wide eyes, "Sesshomaru," she said softly.

"Rin needs a mother-figure around, that boy Kohaku needs someone other than me to keep his shard protected, Jaken… well, he needs a beating from time to time." His gold eyes lifted to meet her silver eyes at hearing her giggle softly at the last bit, his gaze soft.  
"**_I_** need you, even though at one point in my life I never would've imagined I'd need a woman to keep me sane, and happy." He admitted quietly.

She felt the sting of warm tears well in her eyes, turning her head and sniffing.

"Getsu," he began at catching the scent of her tears.

"You jerk dog breath, you have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words!" She croaked, rubbing her nose gingerly.

Sesshomaru smiled softly, using his right hand to brush the tears from her eyes.

Getsu shook her head fervently, ears twitching as a light blush stained her cheeks, her eyes puffy.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

A/N: _closure is what he needs and will he get it? until next chap, __**review please**__! thanks~_


	34. I Will (Not Bow), Part One

A/N: _closure is what he needs and will he obtain it? nothing more to put on that, so enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**I Will Not Bow**__" by __**Breaking Benjamin**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 34: I Will (Not Bow), Part One_**

"Lord Sesshomaru, Getsu-onee!" Rin beamed at the sight of the two _daiyokai_ returned.

Getsu cocked her head to one side, looking at the felled form of the half-demon.  
"Rin, when did you guys call a meeting?" She asked in slight confusion, tousling her hair as she ran forward to embrace her. "And what happened to the half-breed dumbass over there?" She jerked a thumb in the direction of the aforementioned boy.

"H-Hey, who the hell're ya callin' a dumbass, Getsu!? We just saved your little ones from getting killed by Naraku!" InuYasha shouted indignantly.

His gold eyes sharpened slightly and she perked her ears; she looked down at the girl, smiling apologetically. "I'm sorry we left you guys alone like that, Rin," she said.

"It's okay, Kagome and everyone have been really nice to us!" She smiled widely, earning a smile from said priestess and crew.

She nodded, looking at the aforementioned girl and smiling. "Thank you for protecting them, I'm sorry we weren't there to help." She said gratefully, laughing weakly at the last bit.

The sound of the Tensaiga leaving its scabbard made her ears twitch; she looked up alertly as he neared the half-breed.

"Draw, InuYasha." He ordered sharply, slightly baffling his younger brother.

"Sesshomaru, what's the big idea?" Getsu barked, looking at him alertly.

"Stay out of this, Getsu. Besides, you heard the same thing I did, remember?" Sesshomaru quieted her.

She bristled out of habit at the memory of that Byakuya freak leaving a glass shard for him, quieting reluctantly and nodding. "Just don't overdo it." She warned patiently, ushering the girl closer to the humans.

"Getsu-onee, what's wrong with Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked innocently, looking up at the wolf's stony silver eyes.

She ran her claws through her brown hair gently, smiling down at her. "It's nothing, don't worry, Rin. He's just… experimenting." She replied quietly.

She nodded and looked over at the ever-stoic dog _daiyokai_. "'Kay," she mumbled.

"Getsu, what's going on?" Kagome asked, coming to stand next to the wolf demon.

"It's a long story, I'll explain later. For now, it'd be wise for us to stay back." Getsu said dismissively, keeping her eyes on her mate.

He finally drew the Tetsusaiga, preparing to fire a Wind Scar, before the Tensaiga glowed brightly, slightly blinding him; she pricked her ears as the fang transformed into a mirror image of Tetsusaiga, taking along its' powers as well as the appearance.

_So that's what he meant by letting him use that mirror shard_, she thought, bristling at feeling the demonic energy pulse from the transformed Tensaiga. _Naraku tried to have Sesshomaru be caught in a trap that resulted in a death match between him and InuYasha, but Naraku forgets that Sesshomaru despises him as much as I do, therein making it worthless for him to use Sesshomaru as a pawn._ _I gotta admit, he's pretty clever to use a ploy like having the Tetsusaiga be bait for Sesshomaru_, she mused, inwardly hating that she had to give that sorry sick fuck credit for his plan.

Her eyes lifted up to the form of Byakuya as he explained why Tensaiga was able to steal the Tetsusaiga's abilities, bristling at the sight of him.  
She was starting to hate him, too... of course not as much as Naraku.

"But Lord Sesshomaru, why!?" Rin's outburst surprised her, "while you and Getsu-onee were gone, Naraku tried to kill Kohaku! He's evil, you can't trust him; don't listen to what he says!" She cried.

"Rin," Getsu began softly, frowning at Byakuya. "Byakuya, you know if something happens to him, you're gonna die by my claws, got it?" She barked angrily, making his ears twitch.

Byakuya smiled down at her. "Well then, if that does happen, then I'll look forward to fighting the Princess of the West," he said lightly.

"Getsu, you approve of this?" Sango demanded near her.

She looked away, gritting her teeth. "Of course I don't, not if it endangers Sesshomaru. But he wants to do this, to fight InuYasha. He's not going to die, not if I can help it." She stated with a growl in her throat; she didn't like him working with Naraku, especially because of what happened in the past, but if he wanted to go through with it, then she couldn't change his mind no matter how many times she or Rin pleaded with him. "He really is bull-headed," she muttered with a wry smirk.

"Let's go to a place where you can fight without interruption," the incarnation drew a _sake_ gourd from his robes and threw down the liquid at the brothers, forming a circle around them both until the circle formed into the moon.

"A moon?" She wondered, widening her eyes slightly as it rose up into the air and faded from sight. "Sesshomaru!" She barked, gritting her teeth. "Damn it all!"

_Now Byakuya was really on her shit list!_

::::::oOo:::::::

A wide vortex opened; her eyes widened alertly as both brothers abandoned the vortex and hopped down onto the ground.

"InuYasha!" Kagome sprinted ahead of her to his side as he fell face-forward onto the ground.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin and Jaken cried as they hurried after her; Getsu sprinted past them, throwing herself into his arms.

Sesshomaru grunted slightly as he steadied himself from falling back at her sudden pounce, wrapping his arms around her waist and setting her down.

"You jerk, you scared me when you went into the damn pathway to the underworld! I swear that I should hang you by your idiotic, reckless…" Getsu was silenced as he crushed his lips to hers, surprising her, blush staining her cheeks.

_Sesshomaru_, she thought in awe, her arms reflexively moving to hug his neck and deepen the kiss.

"I'm glad to see you're the same as usual," he mused softly against her lips, pulling away to smirk at her baffled face.

The blush deepened to look like a reddish color before she spluttered a huff and looked away. "Be quiet, you were just lucky ya decided to kiss me like that." She grated between her teeth.

He chuckled, squeezing her hips. "Stubborn princess." He shook his head softly.

She huffed again, looking at the discarded form of Tensaiga a few feet away, her eyes widening. "Sesshomaru, your Tensaiga," she started quietly.

"Sesshomaru, are you able to accept what has happened?" The welder asked behind her as the two pulled apart, both _daiyokai_ looking at him, the imp blubbering on about losing the Tensaiga to Tetsusaiga; she sweatdropped.

"I do not care; we're leaving, Jaken." He silenced him, perking her ears.

She looked at him, "Sesshomaru," she spoke softly.

He met her silver eyes and his gaze softened a little. "Let's go."

She nodded and walked at his side as he turned to leave.

"One moment, Sesshomaru." Totosai declared behind them; she looked back at him as he paused. "Although you may find little consolation in it now, I'd suggest you take it. It fell from the path to the underworld." He lifted the whole-form of Tensaiga, presenting it to him. "You may not be satisfied with this sword that cannot cut, but Tensaiga is powerful, for it heals."

Sesshomaru scowled, turning away. "So what; I'm supposed to take it and go around healing people, now? If I was that sentimental, I'd have Getsu do it for me with her own healing powers, considering she restored my left arm." He mused, perking her ears; she quieted and looked at the Tensaiga. "Don't be ridiculous." He added dismissively, dragging her after him by the hand.

"H-hey!" The welder stammered as the dog _daiyokai_ continued on his way with the wolf _daiyokai_ in tow.

She looked at him, sighing. "Are you going to be alright? I know Tensaiga wasn't your favorite blade to use, but it's still something your father gave you to remember him by." She wondered quietly, looking down at her own fang at her hip and thinking of her father's smiling face.

He looked at her. "I'm fine." He replied.

She huffed and crossed her arms in the sleeves of her kimono. "Like I'll believe that; it's still a piss-poor lie, no matter how many times you tell me." She stated. "And if you're worried about protecting me and Rin, don't get your stole in a knot. I can protect myself just fine, and I'd rip Naraku to shreds before he could ever lay a finger on her." She added sternly, making his ears twitch.

_No matter what, you still manage to see right through me when I feel like this_, he thought with a soft shake of his head. "I'm glad to hear that. Even though I don't intend to be without a sword for long." He mused.

She looked up at him. "I said I can protect myself well enough," she reminded.

He rolled his eyes, and his hand lifted to fold over her shoulders, pulling her closer to his side. "I know you can, but you can't argue with the need to want to protect the one who is most important to you." He replied quietly.

"Sesshomaru," she looked at him with slight surprise, blushing; she lowered her gaze, holding onto his back. "You're right." She mumbled softly.

He quirked a brow, tilting his head to one side. "I didn't hear that correctly," he mused.

"I said you were right! Don't let it make your ego get any bigger," she declared indignantly, blushing again.

He smirked, squeezing her shoulders affectionately, kissing the top of her head.

She smiled softly; even though he'd lost Tensaiga, he was still the Sesshomaru she had grown to love, and she was grateful for just that.

* * *

A frown crossed her face.

Both _daiyokai_ stared at the large demons that blocked their path.

The dark one on the right laughed blackly, "Word has spread, Sesshomaru!"

"Rumor has it that you've lost your weapon," the brown one on the left growled.

She drew her katana quietly, bristling. "I won't even waste an insult on you two lumbering shitheads!"

A wide arc of green energy screamed at the two demons; the brown one roared as he was felled, severed in half horizontally and disintegrating into the air as the second one managed to dodge but not without having his left arm severed at the elbow.

"You damn wench, you'll pay for that!" The dark one snarled as he slammed a large fist down on where she stood.

She spirited out of the way, reappearing on a peak and swinging her katana in a sharp right; blue-green energy sailed at the mangled demon, destroying him on sight, his anguished roars ringing in the night air as his body disintegrated into the night.

"That was amazing, Miss Getsu!" The boy declared as she landed lithely on a foot next to her mate, sheathing her katana.

She smiled at him, looking at her mate. "Sesshomaru," she began quietly.

He nodded, smiling a little. "We're leaving," he announced to the others, walking ahead of her.

She sighed and nodded, lingering to walk next to the boy. "You know why they've been coming to challenge him, right?" She mused, earning his attention.

Kohaku quieted and nodded. "Yeah, it's because of my Shikon Jewel shard." He replied.

Getsu kept her silver eyes on him for a moment longer before she sighed, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "Like I said before, your eyes don't miss much, even for a human. You're still gonna be safe around us, though; that much I promised your sister… And Rin." She smiled at the girl and saw her smile lightly back, folding her arms behind her head.

"Getsu," he beckoned from the front; she ruffled the boy's hair before trodding to his side, looking at him.

She tilted her head to one side, keeping her arms behind her head. "If you're gonna complain about how I stole your thunder back there, don't waste your breath…"

"I'm not upset about it; not with you, anyway." Sesshomaru interjected, seeing her ears twitch out of the corner of his eye; he looked at the stars overhead. "I'm glad at least one of us still is capable of using their sword." He mused.

Getsu lifted a brow before she dropped her arms, her brow furrowing softly, "you're still upset about that."

"I told you that I wasn't upset." He argued.

She pulled gently on his sleeve, making him look down at her stubborn silver stare. "You can't lie to me; not when I can smell it coming from your own mouth. I've been with you this long of time to know that you suck at lying to me." She stated patiently.

He scowled as they locked in a stubborn staring contest, reluctantly backing down moments later, growling under his breath as he cut his gaze away. "I hate it when you're right." He muttered.

She smiled softly and took his hand, squeezing. "Get used to it," she mused.

He looked down at their clasped hands and his gold eyes softened, his fingers giving a reflexive squeeze on her smaller hand.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The dark clouds forming overhead looked ominous... and they reeked of demonic aura.

"Is something wrong, Lord Sesshomaru?" The imp asked hesitantly.

"Stand aside." The dog _daiyokai_ ordered stiffly.

"Something's coming, and it smells like Naraku." The wolf _daiyokai_ growled as she drew her katana reflexively. "I know I'm probably being an idiot for saying this, but Jaken, keep Kohaku away." She added.

"I-I don't take orders from **you**, you foolish wolf demon!" The imp barked indignantly, a vein twitching on his brow.

"**Jaken**!" He thundered, making the imp flinch; he stole a steely gold eye over at the imp. "Do as she says, **now**." He growled.

Thunder growled in the darkened sky before a jet of violet lightning shot down on the earth yards ahead of them, making the ground shake.  
The dust from the blast cleared to reveal a pale-haired/faced man wearing green garb and blue streaks on his cheeks, beady red eyes on the group, particularly on the two _daiyokai_ and boy with the shard in his neck.

"Another incarnation?" He guessed.

She huffed, "smells like it, but there's something else about his stench; it smells like the Shikon Jewel."

The demon lifted his right arm that had three large jagged claws on it, the arm shooting out past them at the boy.

"Kohaku!" Getsu barked, perking her ears as they managed to get out of the line of fire.

The demon extended his arm up at the hovering dragon, the arm being severed when Sesshomaru's claws sliced through the limb, forcing him to draw back. "You're weak, demon." He finally spoke in a low drawl, perking his ears.

"What did you say!?" Jaken shrieked behind the two demons.

"I'll say it one more time: **you're weak**." He sneered the sentence this time.

* * *

A/N: _**CLIFFHANG'R**__! lol nah but srsly, who is this demon? and why does he stink of the Shikon Jewel as well as like Naraku? and why is he saying that Sesshomaru is weak?  
_  
_until next chap, __**REVIEW**__**PLZ**__. thanks~_


	35. I Will (Not Bow), Part Two: Don't Close

A/N: _where we last left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu had encountered a strong demon that is after the last jewel shard that's embedded in Kohaku's neck. after having the _**Meido Zangetsuha**_ taken from his Tensaiga by the Tetsusaiga's demonic energy-stealing ability, Sesshomaru was basically left weaponless, starting to rely more on Getsu to slay any demons that thought they could kill him now that he was without a sword. will he gain a new sword? and at what price will he pay for this new weapon?  
enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**ref for the second half of the title - "__**Not Gonna Die**__" by __**Skillet**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 35: I Will (Not Bow), Part Two: Dont Close UrEyes_**

He cracked his knuckles before he lunged at him; the limbs tried to ensnare him in a web of arms before he dodged them all and rammed his clawed fist into the demon's chest cavity.

The demon smirked widely. "Now then, have you realized how weak you are yet?"

_What the hell is he getting at?_ She wondered, gripping the hilt of her katana; her eyes sharpened alertly as she noticed that the hole in his sternum seemed to swallow his arm. "Sesshomaru, get away from him!" She barked, widening her eyes as limbs shot out and made to skewer him like a pig before he flew away in time, retreating to her side. "Sesshomaru, your arm!" She declared, looking at the burned flesh of his left forearm and grimacing as he looked at the burn before his gold eyes lifted to the strange opponent.

The demon laughed as he swung his arm at him, the limb taking a chunk of the stole; her eyes caught the venom that had burned a hole in the fur, ears twitching as the boy swung his sickle down at the demon's head, the blade catching in his forehead; he looked up at it boredly.

"Kohaku, you **idiot**!" She snarled, watching him jump down and ramble about his shard before the limbs shot up at him, wrapping around his ankles as two of them jabbed into the shard in his neck. "Kohaku!" She shouted, perking up as he left her side to grab the boy from the clutches of the demon.

Four stinger-like limbs jabbed into his left forearm.

"**NO**!" She snarled, leaping at the limbs and setting them ablaze with her fire; the limbs wavered before seven more flew at her as she reached her mate, being destroyed as she lifted her katana horizontally and a bright blue barrier formed around them.

"Getsu," he began.

"Stay still," she ordered as she yanked the stingers out of his arm, burning them in her free hand, looking at him. "Are you alright?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah," he replied before both of them looked at the demon as InuYasha appeared and sliced the limb at the shoulder, the limb dropping to the ground with a heavy '_thud_', dropping the boy as both _daiyokai_ landed lithely on the ground.

InuYasha bared the Tetsusaiga against the demon, "so you must be Naraku's latest." He growled.

"InuYasha be careful, his poison is strong," Getsu declared as she was mending his left arm, the warm lilac glow strengthening as the poison was taken from his arm and it returned to normal, turning to do the same to his right arm.

"Naraku: how dare you group me with that half-demon?" The limb regenerated, slowly growing back; he looked at the priestess, their eyes locking, before she fainted.

_What the hell is this guy?_ She thought with an inward growl.

"Take Kohaku and leave, he's only in the way." Sesshomaru told the humans as he stepped forward. "You too." He declared as he moved near the half-demon.

"Sesshomaru's right, if he stays here any longer, the shard will continue to be tainted." Getsu agreed quietly, gripping the hilt of her katana.

InuYasha snorted, "Yeah right, you were injured by this guy! Back off," he snapped.

His eyes glowed red, perking her ears; she looked at him alertly. "You underestimate me; I don't need the protection of a half-demon." He snapped coldly.

"Sesshomaru," she began alertly.

"I'm sorry; Getsu, but I have no other choice." Sesshomaru apologized quietly, leaping at the demon before he leaped higher into the air, bones creaking and stretching as he snarled and transformed into his true form, snatching the head of the demon in his jaws, blood flying.

Getsu clenched her teeth and snarled, her own beast roaring in her ears as it ached to attack and draw blood, to be near his white-furred beast; _No! Not yet_, she snarled at her beast, silencing its growls for a moment before they thundered softly in her ears.

"Getsu, cool it!" InuYasha grabbed her arm; his gold eyes widened slightly at seeing her silver eyes change to a bright yellow with a blue pupil. He gritted his teeth. "_**Getsu**_." He snapped her name.

She seemed to snap out of it, widening her eyes as they transformed back to silver; she shook her arm free, gripping her katana's hilt. "I'm okay," she growled.

_Pfeh, I knew it; if Sesshomaru transformed into his true form, then Getsu wanted to do the same to help him_, he thought with a scowl.

Both half-demon and _daiyokai_ perked up as miasma spewed out from the body, the limbs re-growing slowly.

"Shit," she growled.

"Miroku, Sango, take Kagome!" The half-demon barked as his friends took the girl and fled into the air, Ah-Un flanking Kirara.  
The limbs stretched higher to get at the unconscious Kohaku.

"**NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN**!" A torrent of blue fire screamed at the limbs, burning them and cutting them off from getting the shard. "Fly higher, **NOW**! Get him as far away from here as you can!" She commanded sharply.

"But Getsu-onee!" Rin cried.

She smiled up at her. "We'll be okay, Rin!" She promised, watching the flying beasts raise higher into the air; her silver eyes turned to the reforming limbs of the demon. "Okay, now you're really pissin' me off," she growled, cracking her knuckles as she sheathed her katana, resorting to her wolf fire instead as the body rose off the ground, the limbs continuing to grow.

The decapitated head cackled softly, "Go ahead, rip me to pieces; I'm just borrowing this body."

"Just who are you, anyway?" InuYasha growled.

The limbs shot out and coiled around the dog demon's neck, pulling him to the risen body.

"**No**!" Getsu snarled, making to run forward before the half-breed yanked on her sleeve and pulled her behind him. "I-InuYasha," she began.

"Not yet," he snapped, perking her ears; she quieted and reluctantly listened, growling angrily under her breath at the disgusting limbs that were coiled around the dog's neck.

"Since you ask, I'll tell you: my name is Magatsuhi." The head replied at last.

"_You're __**Magatsuhi**__?_" Both dog and wolf demon asked in chorus.

He huffed, "I don't care if you are Magatsuhi, I'll cut you down!"

"Fine, but I'm taking the dog with me." Magatsuhi said simply.

Getsu snarled a curse at him, bristling angrily.

InuYasha hesitated, looking at the angered wolf, practically tasting her aura as it pulsated dangerously at his side. _If I did that, Getsu would roast me alive for letting Sesshomaru die_, he thought.

He hated sticky situations.

She bristled more as the limbs tightened around him, particularly around his neck, reminding her of a noose. _Sesshomaru, I'm sorry_, she thought, closing her eyes tight as the beast roared louder, the wall she'd put up to keep it at bay unhinging.

"InuYasha, move," she growled, perking his ears.

He looked at her sharply, seeing her silver eyes had turned to that yellow and blue look again. "Getsu," he began.  
"Please, let me go to him." She whispered, flashing a small smile.

He gritted his teeth and reluctantly stepped aside.

Her bones creaked and stretched, making her groan and then snarl as her teeth grew in her transformation; she leaped into the air in her humanoid form and dropped down near her mate as a jet black wolf with a blue crescent on her left cheek and a thick mane of black fur.

"G-Getsu-onee," the girl breathed from sitting on the dragon overhead, watching the wolf demon's tail lift into the air like a black flag.

_Sesshomaru, I __**will**__ save you!_ She roared as she leaped at the limbs, ripping them off his body with sharp teeth and tossing them away, yanking the ones around his snout off and spitting them away.

More limbs shot at the wolf demon, trying to grab her neck; blue fire flew at them from her open jaws, incinerating the limbs and making them die; she finished ripping at the limbs around his neck, burning them with her fire.

Sesshomaru snarled reflexively, red eyes wide as he stared into her yellow eyes; _G-Getsu?_ He looked at the blue crescent on her cheek.  
This was her: **_this was his Getsu_**.

Getsu smiled a wolfish smile, her tail swishing in relief and happiness that he was okay. _This is me, what my true form looks like!_ She wanted to tell him, a soft whine uttered between her jaws.

Both _daiyokai_ transformed back to normal, a combined glow of red and blue light consuming them as they reverted to their humanoid sides, leaping away and retreating near the half-demon.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" The imp declared in relief behind them; he shot him a cold glare, making him stiffen.

She sweatdropped and smiled slightly, watching him leap forward to slice at the oncoming limbs with his claws, before the limbs wrapped around him again; the half demon snarled as he sliced the limbs, severing them from his brother as she leaped into the air to join him.

"I know you don't want my help, but I can't let you die! I'll destroy this guy using the **_Meido Zangetsuha_**," he declared, knowing that the wolf demon standing behind him really would roast him alive if anything happened to her mate. The blade glowed yellow until it turned black; the limbs that were infront of him dispersed to get near the humans plus dragon and cat demon, surprising him.

Magatsuhi cackled softly, "by all means, give that **_Meido Zangetsuha_** a whirl; though be careful where you aim, you might just as easily kill your friends." He mused lightly.

Sesshomaru nodded to her; Getsu smiled and winked. "Follow me," he ordered the humans, leaping at the demon limbs and slicing at them with his claws, her blue fire incinerating the rest, as they paved a pathway for the humans behind them, herding the body parts to surround them all as the imp and half-demon joined up with their comrades.

"How clever, doing that so you wouldn't hurt your friends; but how long do you think that's going to last?" He cackled.

_He should know by now that he's not gonna risk his neck without me there_ _with him_, she thought with a soft growl, having caught on to what he was going to do.

He glanced at her, "help them." He instructed quietly; she blinked before nodding slightly, "Okay, the rest of you will have to handle them by yourselves." He declared, leaping up at the decapitated head of Magatsuhi.

_Don't you mess this up_, she thought, glaring at the various demon limbs around them.

A dark and angered face appeared near the head as he sliced at it; _is that what Magatsuhi looks like?_ She wondered, widening her eyes slightly as the limbs swirled to attack him, the Tensaiga in hand bouncing off the skins; a noise of shock and horror escaped her as a large limb shot through his chest.

"**LORD SESSHOMARU**!" Rin and Jaken shouted.

"_**SESSHOMARU!**_" Getsu screamed, flying at the head in a blind rage.

"Getsu, **no**!" InuYasha shouted behind her.

Several limbs flew at her; "**OUT OF MY WAY**!" Blue fire screamed at the limbs, burning them clean; she flew at the limb that had punctured his chest, yanking it out sharply and hearing him groan at the sharp pain.

"Sesshomaru!" She cried, holding him to her chest and fighting the tears at smelling his blood as its scent made her stomach lurch; he looked at her in surprise, "G-Getsu," he growled despite the pain.

Several limbs sailed at the two _daiyokai_; a barrier of blue fire consumed them, keeping them away from the couple; her teeth were bared as she glowered at the head, looking at him again. "Can you still fight?" She asked gently, meeting his gold eyes as he straightened a little, standing next to her in the air.

He nodded. "Yes, but what…?" He began to ask before she presented her katana to him; his gold eyes widened alertly. "Getsu," he breathed.

She thrust it into his hands, smiling gently. "Mangetsuga will be the fang you lost. I know it'll protect you and help you slay Magatsuhi," she explained quietly.

His wide eyes calmed slightly and he looked down at the katana, slowly unsheathing the blade; it pulsed in his hand's grip as he felt the power of the wolf fang radiate to his body.  
_This fang, it doesn't have a barrier like Tetsusaiga or Tensaiga; is it because Getsu really does trust me?_ He wondered, looking at his reflection in the silver front of the blade.

The head cackled, "So you'd rather wield a blade that isn't yours? How pathetic!"

Twenty or so large limbs flew at them.

"**Dying Wolf's Blood**!" He swung the fang in an arc, sending a wide jet of green energy screaming at the oncoming limbs, the limbs falling back as more limbs flew at them.

_I still don't like borrowing her blade, but Getsu has put enough faith in me for this far; I won't let her down_, he thought, slicing at the limbs again.

She slashed at the rest of them with her claws, a sharp pain blossoming in her belly as two limbs stabbed through her back; she snarled in pain as blood flew.

"**NO**!" He thundered as he looked at her impaled form; he snarled and flew at the head angrily.

"Sesshomaru, you idiot!" InuYasha shouted, perking up as more limbs sailed at the dog demon, severing his left arm; he swung the blade, a jet of blue-green energy sailing at the limbs that protected the head, blood flying from his severed limb.

"S-Sesshomaru!" Getsu groaned, trying to yank free of the limbs even though more coiled around her; _shit, not now! No, I can't die! __**I won't die**__! __**SESSHOMARU**__!_ She inwardly screamed his name.

A bright gold and yellow light came from his missing arm, surprising him at the sensation the light sent through his body; the sight of the welder appearing in the sky overhead briefly caught his attention.

_Totosai… in that case, this is it!_ He threw the light at the limbs that flew at him, destroying them and the rest of the limbs around him.

His arm reformed to look like a new demon arm, a katana with a white hilt and puzzle-looking markings on the bottom half of the silver blade in hand, the green glow from the blade fading as he looked at the new sword in surprise.

"So it's finally appeared, Sesshomaru; finally a blade that didn't come from your father. This is your sword, Bakusaiga!" Totosai declared.

"This is my new sword, is it? Bakusaiga?" Sesshomaru wondered, looking at the blade.

The limbs he'd cut flopped ontop of each other, squirming before they exploded, being destroyed from the inside out. He leaped at the limbs that had attacked his mate, severing them with a strike from Mangetsuga; she grimaced when she landed against his chest, looking at him as he looked down at her worriedly. "Getsu," he spoke softly.

She smiled up at him, lifting a hand to stroke his cheek. "See? I knew you could do it." She mused softly, taking her sword from his hand he offered, holding onto it.

His gold eyes looked down at the hole in her kimono, at the regenerating flesh, smiling in relief. "You reckless wolf," he scolded quietly.

She smiled again, sheathing her katana and holding onto her belly with an arm as she straightened and looked at his new blade. "Bakusaiga, huh? Interesting." She said.

He nodded, placing his arm around her waist and bringing her down to the ground with him.

"I see; this diversion proved to be interesting. However, as I'm only borrowing this body, you've done me no harm." Magatsuhi sneered.

Sesshomaru tightened his grip on her waist as he swung the new blade at the head, a wide jet of green energy screaming at him and obliterating the head in half.

Getsu looked at the attack in awe. _Bakusaiga is that powerful? I gotta hand it to Totosai_, she mused.

The clouds disappeared, revealing a clear blue sky overhead.  
"So he escaped," he mused, looking at her again after glancing at his blade. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded, looking at his new blade and smiling. "Are you?" She returned.

His gold eyes softened at her smile and he nodded. "Better than before." He mused.

::::::oOo:::::::

"Please show me your Bakusaiga, Sesshomaru," the welder requested; he turned to show him the blade, seeing him nod.

"This sword has always been a part of you, Sesshomaru. It was waiting for you." He bowed his head slightly, meeting the young _daiyokai_'s gold stare. "But before you could wield it, you needed to show how worthy you were as a great demon."

"Closure," she whispered in realization; _he had to let go of the Tetsusaiga in order to gain the Bakusaiga!_ She thought.

"You lost your left arm in an attempt to take Tetsusaiga; it was a most unfortunate event. But now, you have gained a new arm, along with Bakusaiga as well, a sword that is truly yours and yours alone, proving that you have finally surpassed your father and having been released from your obsession with Tetsusaiga!" He explained.

Both brothers looked at him.

* * *

A/N: _and so Sesshomaru gains the Bakusaiga. i personally had been wondering when he'd obtain the Bakusaiga, whether it was near the beginning of Final Act or towards the end.. and apparently it was the latter, or at least i think it was. lol either way, things are about to get more intense, bonds will grow stronger and be tested, and at the end of this dark tunnel there is a light that beckons. _

_until next chap, __**REVIEW PLZ**__. thanks~_


	36. U Sav'd Me (Come Alive)

A/N: _where we last left off, our lovebirds were locked in a battle with the vile darker side of the Shikon Jewel named Magatsuhi; with the help of InuYasha and his human comrades, both _daiyokai_ managed to escape with their lives and limbs in one piece, fatally wounding the vile side of the Shikon Jewel. the battle with evil is just beginning..  
this is like a prologue of sorts because it's a short chap so bear with me. enjoy the chap! _

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Come Alive**__" by __**Foo Fighters**__ (this just might be a tribute to Sessh/Getsu.. what do you think? ;D)**_

* * *

_**Chapter 36: U Sav'd Me (Come Alive)**_

He glanced at her as the welder was working on the sheath for his sword. "If you want to check on them, go on." He mused.

She looked at him and then shook her head, smiling. "They're fine in there without me." She waved it off.

He quieted and nodded a little, looking down at the welder again as he sheathed the sword in a white scabbard.  
"All done! A scabbard for Bakusaiga," he said, presenting it to him.

He unsheathed and admired the blade before slipping it in his sash and walking away. "Getsu," he beckoned, the imp following at his heels as she sidled to his left after smiling at the welder in thanks.

"Wait, Lord Sesshomaru! Kohaku still hasn't woken up just yet!" The girl declared as she stuck her head out of the hut.

He paused for a moment, "Kohaku will stay behind." He stated, perking her ears. "You too; you stay as well." He added, surprising the girl.  
"Sesshomaru," she touched his arm gently, looking at him in surprise.

"B-but **why**, Lord Sesshomaru!?" Rin stammered, sounding to be on the verge of tears; she ran forward. "No, I wanna go with you, and Getsu-onee!" She cried, stopping as the imp berated her for being a foolish child.

Getsu looked at the girl, her eyes saddening. _He doesn't want her to get killed_, she thought in realization; she squeezed his hand before pulling back to go to the girl. "Jaken, you'll be staying behind, too." He added over his shoulder as she stooped at the girl's side.

"**HUH**!? But I want to go with you, Lord Sesshomaru! Don't leave me behind!" The imp cried as he clung to his stole, dragging on the ground.

"Hey, Sesshomaru, what's this all about?" InuYasha wondered as he came forward; his eyes narrowed. "You're going after Magatsuhi, aren't you?"

Sesshomaru looked away. "Magatsuhi is my prey now. Getsu, let's go." He ordered.

Getsu smiled at the girl, embracing her tightly and resting her cheek against her head. "We'll be fine, Rin. He's only doing this to keep you safe. He's doing it for your sake, and Jaken's." She assured softly.

Rin clung to the wolf demon's kimono, burying her cheek in her shoulder. "G-Getsu-onee, please look after Lord Sesshomaru! P-promise me that!" She said around another batch of tears.

She kissed the top of her head gently, nodding and running her claws through her brown hair. "I won't let him out of my sight." She amended, holding her tightly once more before she let go.

She reluctantly let her larger hand go, sniffing and wiping the tears from her eyes; she smiled brightly for her, seeing her smile back, albeit weakly.

She turned away to go to his side, pausing when she met the half-demon's gold eyes; she smiled, punching his shoulder affectionately as if he were her brother. "Please keep Rin safe." She pleaded quietly, locking gaze with his gold eyes again.

He huffed and smirked slightly. "Just don't go gettin' killed by that Magatsuhi freak. Ya worried Sesshomaru enough the other day." He replied wryly.

Getsu chuckled and nodded, walking past him to take her mate's hand as he took off into the air.

Sesshomaru looked at her at catching the scent of tears, "she's going to be fine." He assured quietly, perking her ears.

She nodded, wiping her eyes with her free hand. "I know, I know she is. I just… I guess I feel like she's more like my daughter than my sister, sometimes." She shrugged.

He smiled slightly, looking away. _She's not Korihime; she won't die like she did. I won't let it happen, not to Rin... or to you._ He inwardly vowed.

* * *

Rain beat down on the ground, doing little to hit the two _daiyokai_ that had taken shelter in a small cave to rest up.

He scowled a little and sighed, feeding the fire a twig.  
The longer they dawdled, the longer it'd take them to get to Magatsuhi. But then again, perhaps it was a good thing they dawdled.

She shot a look at him, admiring the blade of her Mangetsuga before she ran the cloth over the blade again. "Your face is gonna be stuck in that scowl for the rest of your life, y'know."

His ears twitched and he looked up at her from beneath his lashes, looking down at the fire. "What scowl?" He grumbled.

She rolled her eyes and sheathed the blade, reaching to poke his forehead with a finger. "That scowl." She replied.

His hand caught hers, pulling it down from having poked the center of the crescent birthmark on his forehead. "I was just thinking, that's all." He declared, pricking her ears.

She tilted her head to one side, looking at his larger hand holding hers and squeezing gently. "About?"

He ran his thumb over the spot between her thumb and index finger methodically, keeping his gold eyes on the invisible circles his thumb ran over her skin, his mind flashing back to seeing her impaled by that slime's limbs.  
"If Totosai hadn't intervened when he did, I could've lost you." He mused softly.

She looked down at his hand on hers, feeling his grip tighten out of reflex. "'Could've', and 'would've' are two different things, love." She remarked softly.

Sesshomaru scowled again, mostly angry at himself for putting her in danger. "I should've left you with Rin." He said as if he regretted bringing her with him.

Getsu's eyes shot up at his stare and her brow furrowed. "Why didn't you?" She challenged softly.

His gold eyes hardened and his hand squeezed hers, a soft smile splaying across his lips. "You told me once that you wanted to avenge your clan in slaying Naraku. Since that day you've grown stronger every time we were pulled into combat. It'd be cruel of me to deny you your revenge." He explained in the same tone.

She widened her eyes slightly. "Sesshomaru," she lowered her gaze to their hands and smiled to herself at his words, shaking her head softly. "You really are kind-hearted; you never were any of those things everyone said of you… Not to me, not once." She admitted quietly, blushing a shade of pink.

He smiled at seeing her blush, releasing her hand to tip her chin up so he could see her eyes. "I always had a feeling your true form was beautiful." He mused, seeing the blush deepen in her cheeks.

Getsu bowed her gaze humbly, huffing. "I don't like using it, my true form," she mumbled.

Sesshomaru tilted his head to one side. "Why?"

She kept her gaze down, letting him tuck strands of hair from her face. "It only comes out, or rather tries to come out, whenever I'm angry. Like when Magatsuhi had his limbs coiling around you, even in your true form…" She trailed off and shuddered, visibly bristling. "I only let it out because I didn't want to see you die." She admitted.

He quieted and cupped her cheek with the hand he'd used to hold her chin, running a clawed thumb over the crescent birthmark on her cheekbone. "Even in your anger, you're beautiful. To be honest, when I saw your true form, I almost didn't think you were the wolf. But you seemed to want me to understand that you were there, smiling at me beneath that black fur and staring at me with those yellow eyes that were relieved to see me still breathing." He said thoughtfully.

Getsu smiled and rolled her eyes out of habit, kissing him and taking him by surprise.

Sesshomaru blinked before his gaze softened and he pressed his mouth to hers, the memory of smelling her blood in the air making his stomach knot and his mouth deepen the kiss in need to be reminded that she was still with him, that she wasn't dead.

She blushed and smiled softly, curling her fingers in his silver hair and gently digging her claws into his scalp, pressing her forehead to his as she kissed back, sensing his need to feel that she was indeed still alive and in his arms.

He pulled her into his lap out of reflex, his arms hugging her hips as he lifted one hand to run his claws through her black hair.

She smiled again and settled to being so close to him, gently dragging her nails down his strong shoulders. "I'm not leaving you, you know that." She breathed against his lips, blushing reflexively as he quieted her with another deep and needing kiss.

He knotted his fingers in her hair, groaning softly at having her in his arms and so very close to his lesser extremities that started to point out the closeness between them.  
"Good because the gods know I need you by my side." He growled softly, leaving her lips to let his teeth mark a trail from the small spot between her ear and her neck down to the spot between her shoulder and neck, making her growl and whimper softly in submission, the noises she made sweet music to his ears that was long overdue and well missed.

"I need you, too, Sesshomaru." she replied in a breathed whisper, arching her back and craning her neck as he marked her throat with his fangs as they sank into her skin.

* * *

A/N: _well i thought this chap ended nicely with some smut in there. lol i felt for Rin in the episode, but i knew he left her behind because he didn't want her to be in danger while he pursued Magatsuhi and Naraku. __**/sniffles**__ our fluffy __**DOES**__ have a heart! __**/gets bricked by Bakusaiga**_

_ahah anyway, until next chap! __**review please**__; thanks~_


	37. Comfortable Killers: Knives

A/N: **AHMG 50 REVIEWS THANK YOU GUYS I LOVE YOU LOT SO MUCH! ****_/cries waterfalls of joy_** _rofl nah but srsly.. *cough* anyway, i'm honored that this fic has gotten so many reviews and all of them good words! thanks a mil you guys and i hope to hear more good things in the future._

_but getting to the story...! where we last left off, Sesshomaru and Getsu had taken off alone, leaving behind Rin, Jaken and an unconscious Kohaku in Kaede's village. that's pretty much what all happened in the previous chap so i will get on with this new one. enjoy!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref's - "__**Chasing **__**the **__**Rapture**__" and "__**Knives**__" by __**10 Years**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 37: Comfortable Killers: Knives_**

A large swirling red vortex appeared, making them stop in the pursuit of that slime Magatsuhi's stink.

She bristled and allowed a soft growl to escape between her teeth as she caught the stink of Naraku on the effeminate creep that appeared fresh out of the vortex… **Byakuya**. _Well, at least we don't have to chase Magatsuhi's stink anymore, now that he's here_, she thought as she cracked her knuckles.

"Well, well, you came all this way after catching Magatsuhi's scent; the great Lord Sesshomaru has a keen nose indeed… or perhaps it was **_your_** nose that led the both of you this far, Lady Getsuei?" Byakuya mused lightly, blue eyes traveling from the stony blank gold stare of the dog demon to the cold blank stare of the wolf demon.

Getsu remained silent, her claws sharpening in the unraveling annoyance she felt towards this demon.

"Byakuya of the Dreams," Sesshomaru greeted coldly.

He cocked his head a little to the side, as if in thought. "Hm, your left arm is different; last I heard, your beloved wolf princess had restored your arm in the past… at least before Magatsuhi ripped it off the last time you met." He saw the wolf's lip curl before her face blanked, becoming emotionless despite the cold fire that glinted in her stare.

"We were tracking Magatsuhi's stink, **not yours**: go back to kissin' Naraku's ass." She spoke at last, her voice brittle and sharp.

The origami crane lifted into the air, "I see your manners haven't changed since last time. You're only interested in this one, I suppose?" The same face of the Shikon's evil side sneered at them behind the incarnation.

"Magatsuhi," she growled the name.

"**Tensaiga**!" He swung the fang at the face, cutting at the right eye; the rip remained for a few moments before it regenerated, the face sneering at them. "It didn't work," he grumbled.

"It's not him; his stench is different from this one. It's one of Byakuya's illusions." Getsu ground out frostily, her aura starting to pulse and become visible as she itched to strike at the illusionist.

Byakuya's confident look faltered and he sighed dramatically. "Well, damn! Not only does the princess of the wolves have a sharp nose, but she also has sharp eyes too… Eyes I wouldn't mind ripping out before crushing her skull." He said the last part in a low tone.

She flashed a wide smirk, a soft snarl brewing in her throat. "Oh, you finally show your fangs. I'm fuckin' terrified." She sneered coldly.

_If that's the case, then…_ He leaped at the incarnation, slicing at the gourd with his claws; the illusion faded from sight.

A streak of blue fire sailed at the crane, burning one of the wings and making the incarnation yelp and steady the flying paper bird, gritting his teeth and glaring at the she-wolf and dog demon as he retreated to her side.

"So that's where the scent was coming from," Sesshomaru growled as she drew her katana quietly.

"Yes, a piece of Magatsuhi's flesh that you cut off; it carries a fraction of the soul that couldn't escape in time. More than enough to summon the two of you from a great distance; unfortunately, it took you too long to notice. My condolences. But since you're here, I figure 'why not amuse me a while longer'?" He smirked at the briefly-surprised look on the she-wolf's face, watching her lip curl in a snarl as the stench of a demon horde came from behind before the horde surrounded the three of them.

"You underestimate us, Byakuya: do you honestly believe you could impede either my mate or myself with demons as weak as these?" He drawled.

"Well, that's why I gathered a thousand of them." Byakuya said simply.

Sesshomaru attacked first, "**Bakusaiga**!" green and gold shots of electricity attacked the demons, the demons imploding as the explosion of noise rang in her ears.

_'Condolences'? Was he referring to us or to the others?_ Getsu wondered, gritting her teeth and clinging to the hilt of Mangetsuga.

"All of them at once?" He deadpanned, a brow twitching.

A loud '_klang_' rang out in the clouded air: she glowered into his blue stare, small sparks flying as he had brought the katana at his back to block her quick strike, her blade bearing down on his own, fangs glinting in the snarl on her lips.

"So, you finally drew that katana; I had been wondering if it wasn't just a party favor."  
The sparks flew again as she pressed her weight down onto the fang, her aura fluctuating around her, making a soft violet glow appear around her body.

_This wolf… just what kind of wolf _**is**_ she? She doesn't show as much brute strength as that Koga did, nor does she use her wolf fire like she did in the past! She's stronger than before_, he thought in awe; a huff escaped him from between grinding teeth. "You've grown stronger since the last time we met, I'm impressed!"  
He forced her away, watching her bounce on her left foot before she straightened out and glared at him, the soft glow around her petite form still visible and pulsing.

"Getsu now is the time," he declared, perking her ears.

She looked at him and nodded, scowling at the incarnation. "You got it." Her aura pulsed again, almost to the point where he could taste it from being so close as she lifted her katana.

"**WOLF'S CRESCENT**!"

A wide arc of blue-green energy screamed at their opponent; he hooked his arm around her waist, disappearing from sight as the smoke clouded their escape from view.

Byakuya scowled and huffed, sheathing his katana. "That little bitch." He grumbled.

* * *

"_Head's up!_" A wide jet of green energy screamed at the limbs that attacked the half-demon, destroying them on contact; he skidded to a halt, looking at the owner of the strike and met her silver eyes.

"Getsu," he began; she winked and smirked in reply, Mangetsuga hoisted against her shoulder casually. "You can thank me later for savin' your mutt tail," she mused lightly.

He huffed, looking up at the strike his brother had made against Magatsuhi's face, smirking at her. "Piss off, wolf girl." He grated, seeing her snicker.

'_Damn you!_' The face snarled; three large limbs shot up at him as he wielded Tensaiga.

He sheathed the heirloom, "Naraku's limbs, hm? **Bakusaiga**!" Green and yellow electricity shot down at the limbs, destroying them effortlessly, causing a chain reaction as the rest of the limbs hiding in the walls of the gorge were destroyed.

"Amazing!" The priestess breathed in awe.

She smirked widely up at her mate, seeing him smirk back. "Oi, don't go acting so big-headed again, I'll have to come up there and brain you for it." She threatened playfully.

He huffed calmly, keeping the smirk. "The same goes for you; don't get too cocky." He replied, drawing Tensaiga again and sheathing Bakusaiga, the smirk fading as he turned to the mangled face. "It ends here, Magatsuhi; rather than face me, you chose to use Byakuya of the Dreams so you could elude me. Are you really that fearful of Tensaiga?" He drawled.

"So it's apparent that Tensaiga can be the only sword to cut Magatsuhi, which doesn't surprise me. Tensaiga is a sword that heals, aside from being the sword of Heaven. If a fang that was created to possess the ability of being pure or purifying a soul, then Sesshomaru should be able to destroy Magatsuhi using his father's heirloom." Getsu mused aloud, perking the half-demon's ears.

InuYasha huffed, "so all that rambling about Tensaiga actually has a meaning behind it." He mused, making her ears twitch.

**_THWACK_**.

"Just shut up and watch your brother; you might learn somethin' for once." She cracked her knuckles as thin wisps of smoke rose up from the large bump she'd given to his head.

_Sheesh, sometimes I don't know what's worse; her wolf fire or her fists!_ He mentally cursed the female _daiyokai_, rubbing the bump gingerly as they watched the face try and flee before his brother cornered him, seeming to try and outrun him for fear of getting hit by Tensaiga.

_Well this is a first; I've never seen a giant face of evil be so scared by a simple fang_, she thought with a smirk.

"I wanted you to see my face: that way you would know that it was I who cut you down. **Tensaiga**!" He swung down the fang of Heaven sharply, making the face cry out in agony before it faded from sight.

'_DAMN YOU! Don't think this is the end; I am indestructible! __**I WILL HAVE MY REVENGE**__!_' Magatsuhi's voice bellowed around them.

"Well that's just fuckin' peachy," she grated with a huff.

"Getsu, Sesshomaru, please listen; before coming here, Magatsuhi attacked the village and poisoned both Miroku and Rin!" Sango declared, making her eyes widen.

"Sesshomaru," she began, a growl in her throat, yelping as he grabbed her hand and took off into the night back to the village.

::::::::oOo::::::::

"_So_,_ Magatsuhi __**survived**__._"

The imp froze up in fear.

"_**YOU IDIOT FROG**__!_"  
A black katana's scabbard rammed into his head, making him yelp as his face was stomped into the ground by her left foot instead of the wooden scabbard.

"Getsu-onee, you're back!" The kitsune declared lightly as the imp ground out yelps and apologies from between the dirt in his mouth as she rubbed his face deeper into the ground.

"If only we'd have come back on _lighter_ terms," she sighed, oblivious to the imp's pleas for her to stop.

He sweatdropped. "If you're done grinding his face into the ground…" He sighed, making her ears twitch.

"Oh, sorry!" She removed her foot from the imp's head, smiling up at him. "To be honest, y'can't really blame me for punishing him like that for letting Rin be abducted. I **did** mention that we'd have to find a new babysitter, but I didn't think it'd be _this_ _soon._" She mused, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.

Both monk and kitsune sweatdropped; _if those two ever have children, I'll have to not sign up to be a babysitter. Getsu's wrath would be enough to scare the life out of anyone if they lost her children_, the monk mused.

Sesshomaru exhaled patiently. "We can discuss that later when you're not in a homicidal mood." He ignored the pout and tongue stuck out at him as he turned his attention away from his female counterpart, looking up at the sky and scowling.

_Keep __**that**__ up and I'll __**show**__ you '__**homicidal**__', jerkoff dog_, she thought with a twitching vein on her temple.

"Sesshomaru, what did you mean when you said that he survived?" Miroku asked sharply as both he and the priestess Kaede looked at the male _daiyokai_ alertly.

"Wait, are you suggesting that Magatsuhi's true form had been hiding in the monk all this time?" Kaede demanded, looking from one demon to the other.

"Possibly so… H-hey, Sesshomaru!" Getsu began to answer before he lifted her by the scruff and took off into the night air again, making her yelp a curse.

"You can curse me later," Sesshomaru quieted her once they were high in the air, favoring holding onto her waist with his left arm instead of the collar of her kimono.

She quieted reluctantly and looked at the moon, looking at his stern face. _If Rin's abduction has a bad enough effect on me, I can only imagine it has a worse effect on him_, she thought, recalling the time they went to the underworld and shuddering.

"Are you cold?" He wondered, stirring her from her thoughts.  
She blushed slightly and shook her head, holding onto his chest despite her gesture. "I'm okay, just thinking."

"Even if I tell you to keep Rin safe, you'll fight at my side." Sesshomaru stated quietly.

Getsu perked her ears and then looked away, her claws digging reflexively into the fabric of his _kosode_ sleeve. "I'm not letting you go alone. Besides, if you wanted to protect me as badly as I know you do on the inside and treat me like a pup, you could've left me with Miroku and Shippo."

He huffed quietly and smirked, looking at her. "What would be the point in leaving you behind? To have you beat me into a coma as soon as I returned for you?" He saw her smirk teasingly at the notion, his arm on her waist squeezing.  
"Besides, even though putting you in danger is something I haven't been able to prevent because it's inevitable, I look forward to watching my wolf princess dance." He mused thoughtfully.

A fresh blush stained her cheeks and she snuggled into his chest out of habit. "As I said before, I only dance for you." She smiled softly up at him.

He returned the smile, looking up at the moon, inwardly knowing that the reason Naraku had taken Rin was for Magatsuhi to break the Tensaiga and Bakusaiga… to break **_him_**.

* * *

A growl rumbled in her throat as she glared down at the giant spider Naraku had become, left hand poised on the handle of her katana.  
"You've transformed, Naraku; but you're still just a spider to be crushed on." He growled.

A small throng of demons flew at the two _daiyokai_.

"**Bakusaiga**!" The wave of green and yellow electricity ripped the throng to shreds.

"I must admit that new sword of yours is really something!" The voice of the effeminate incarnation declared behind them.  
"One swing in a demon's direction leaves a crumbling corpse, and if that corpse is reabsorbed by the main body, then it too will crumble. Naraku won't have a chance even in his new form… so by all means, swing away." He smiled lightly as he stood atop a floating passerby eel demon.

"Byakuya," she growled his name.

_If Sesshomaru uses the Bakusaiga on Naraku, we still won't know where he put Rin. But if I attack Byakuya, that'll still leave us with the dilemma of hitting him with the Bakusaiga's attack. Damn, how the hell are we gonna do this?_ She wondered with a growl under her breath, watching large strings of webbing come out from the abdomen of the giant spider, the toxins of the web killing any of the demons that were near the webbing.

"Or are you worried about your **little companion**? As you may have guessed, she's in there: **_inside Naraku_**." He sneered, almost as if he could read her thoughts.

She snarled softly, visibly bristling as she prepared to fire a stinging remark, before her ears twitched and she looked to see InuYasha and his group coming forward to join the fray. "InuYasha?" The surprise melted from her face and she smirked widely. "Now it's a party." She mused.

_You really are pack-oriented_, he thought with an inward sigh.

The spider reared, opening up the chest cavity for them, surprising her a little.

_I'd rather die by a demon horde than go inside there_, she thought with a shudder: she still hated insects, and Naraku's newest form gave her more reason to hate them. _Let's just get Rin, slay Magatsuhi, and then get the hell out of here as soon as possible_, she thought.

Sesshomaru dove into the open cavity, surprising her.

"_**You're insane**__!_" Getsu balked, groaning when he didn't hear her (or he just ignored her, which she assumed he did; it was alright… she'd get him back for it later when they were as far from the slain Naraku as possible!) and leaping after him, reaching his side and grabbing onto his hand.

* * *

A/N: _**and so the final showdown begins**__! what will the outcome be: will Sesshomaru and Getsu save Rin and slay Magatsuhi? will InuYasha and his crew finally destroy Naraku? will Getsu get her long-awaited vengeance? i can't answer any of those questions right now, so keep reading!_

_until next chap, you lot know what to do. __**thanks**__~!_


	38. Battle Lust: Blood

A/N: _where we last left off, Rin had been abducted by Naraku and Magatsuhi to lure Sesshomaru into a trap to break both his swords and him. well our heroine would have none of it! so both _daiyokai_ chased the scent of the girl and found Naraku had transformed into a giant spider demon after he'd completed the Shikon no Tama. before going in, they met up with InuYasha and his rag-tag human pack and so they went in to both rescue Rin and destroy Naraku once and for all! .. and that's where this chap lets off. enjoy!_

**disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Battle Lust**__" by __**10 Years**__**_

* * *

**_Chapter 38: Battle Lust: Blood_**

"**NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN**!" A wide arc of blue fire incinerated the appendages that tried to get at them, rousing the priestess at hearing the familiar command.

"G-Getsu?" She began softly from the floor.

She looked over her shoulder at the girl, smiling in relief and crouching at her side. "Kagome, are you alright? Your arm doesn't look that bad," she asked gently, helping her sit up.

"That wound, is it InuYasha's doing?" He asked as she held her arm gingerly. "Being a mere half-demon, I assume Naraku's darkness overcame him."

She quieted and remembered how he'd been taken over by his demon blood and cut at her arm with his claws before pushing her down into the ravine's darkness. "No, that's not it!" She declared, perking up as he walked off.  
"Wait, Sesshomaru!" She began, getting up and hurrying after him; the wolf demon smiled a little and followed until she was flanking the priestess.

"Sesshomaru, wait a second," she declared, making him pause.

He looked at her over his shoulder. "What now?" He wondered.

"Let me check Kagome's injury, it won't take but a few minutes." She requested, staring at his gold eyes.

He quieted and nodded, scowling ahead of them, "make it fast. I doubt you want to be slain by a horde of weak demons." He replied.

She nodded and pulled the girl's sleeve up to her shoulder, lifting her right hand as the soft lilac glow appeared on her palm. "This might hurt a little, but bear with it." She advised softly, placing her palm on the injury.

Kagome held the grimace back at the slight searing heat she felt before a cool rush washed over her arm; her brown eyes widened at seeing the flesh had fully regenerated, as if InuYasha hadn't hurt her with his claws at all. Getsu smiled at her, letting her fix her sleeve. "Better?"

She nodded, smiling back. "Yes, thanks, Getsu. Um, would it be a lot of trouble on you two if I tagged along? I mean, there's really no telling when we'll meet with InuYasha and the others." She said sheepishly.

He glanced back at the two females; _she'd have to be insane to let the priestess come with us_, he thought.

"It's no trouble! Besides, even though your powers are sealed, you can still fight. And honestly, I'm glad you're still around. Since Kikyo is gone, it only makes sense for you to be the new priestess." She replied lightly, laughing weakly at the last sentence.

He hung his head and exhaled.  
_She's insane, it's official_, he thought with a sweatdrop.

"Thanks again… I think," she mumbled, smiling again.

"Hurry it up, you two. You're going to let us get caught by the demons again." He declared, making both girls look at him.

She stuck her tongue out, sniffing. "Quit whining, we're comin'! Geez, just because you wanna destroy Magatsuhi and Naraku doesn't give you a right to bitch at me." She grated, stomping after him, the priestess at her heels.

A vein twitched on his brow and he huffed. "I'm not bitching at you; I'm just stating the damn well obvious. Don't get your tail in a knot, princess." He grumbled, knowing she overheard him even though he lowered his voice.

"Honestly, you're still actin' like a puppy…" She grated to the girl with a sigh, ignoring the grumbled curse that came from her mate.

The priestess sweatdropped; _so being difficult runs in the family… somehow that doesn't surprise me_, she thought.

:::::::oOo::::::::

"Sesshomaru, your nose is as sharp as InuYasha's, right? Shouldn't you be able to locate Rin?" She tried at striking a conversation with him.

She sweatdropped.  
_Really great idea, trying to talk to Mr. Stoic-as-hell-around-a-priestess-he-once-tried-to- kill_, she thought with heavy sarcasm, inwardly sighing.

"Um, Getsu, what about your nose? You're a wolf demon, or a _daiyokai_ as you mentioned before, so shouldn't your nose be sharper?" She asked the female _daiyokai_.

She nodded. "Yeah, but I can hardly smell shit in here because of that damn miasma. Besides, being inside here is like a maze; it'd take us awhile before we could find her." She explained sadly.

"I must give Naraku credit for being able to stump your nose as well as mine," he muttered, perking her ears.

She made a face and huffed, punching his shoulder. "Don't remind me, I still need to kill that shithead for what he did to my clan." She grated.

"Getsu, you mentioned that Naraku wanted your father to be a business partner with him, or something like that. Did your father know that he was… well, evil?" She wondered, perking her ears at the mention of her father.

She lowered her gaze slightly, folding her arms in the sleeves of her kimono.  
"He must've, only because he declined his request twice. Even though I wasn't as sharp then as I am now, I had an underlying hatred for him. He always reminded me of a slimy snake… or in this case, a spider." She shuddered and growled reflexively.

She smiled slightly, "you too, huh?" She watched her blink in confusion, cocking her head to one side. "I mean that you don't like bugs either." She explained.

She nodded again. "Never liked them, not even as a pup; so the fact that we're inside a giant spider's gut right now gave me and still gives me the creeps and urge to burn the whole damn thing." She mused with a grimace.

She shuddered this time, "tell me about it!" She grated.

He sweatdropped and smirked a little, surprised as well as sort of glad that she was making friends… even if it was with a priestess of all humans.

"Look, Rin's right up there!" Kagome gasped, making both demons look up at a high ledge to see the girl indeed sitting there.

Getsu bristled as she noted the strange green glow around the girl's body, "Rin!" She called.

"What're you doing?" Sesshomaru hissed, perking his ears as the figure didn't listen. "It's only an illusion." He stated, continuing to lead the way.

_That bastard, it was just an illusion_, she thought, making a mental note to slice that magician Byakuya with her bare claws.

They continued walking until she perked her ears, sniffing the air; _Rin!_ She thought in relief.

"She's close by; we're going to have to fly." He mused, hooking his arm around her waist and taking off.

She yelped out of habit before she grabbed the girl's arm, dragging her with them. "Don't let go, Kagome," she ordered, holding onto his waist with her free arm.

"R-right!" She barked, clinging to the wolf demon's arm until she grabbed onto her side and held onto her back.

"InuYasha is there with her, but he remains in demon form." He added to the girls.

"InuYasha?" The priestess gasped.

"That idiot! If it's all the same to you, Kagome, when this is all over I'm going to beat him into a coma for being such a damn fool." The wolf demon groaned, scowling ahead into the darkness.

* * *

"Rin!" She barked, widening her eyes as the floor swallowed her and she sank down into another echelon of the spider's body.

"Damn it all," she looked at the half-demon and her ears perked as she noted that he'd changed to his demon form as Sesshomaru had said; a growl rumbled in her throat as she saw Magatsuhi had possessed him. "You damn moron," she sprinted past him at the half-demon, her fist on fire as it sailed into his cheek; he caught her fist, surprising her as well as the priestess.

"InuYasha!" She cried behind the male _daiyokai_.

The voice of Magatsuhi cackled from the half-demon, "you stupid wolf whore, haven't you realized that InuYasha is gone and I am here instead?" His clawed right fist crashed into her cheek, sending her flying back.

She staggered and grimaced, spitting out a wad of blood. "You cheap fuck, let him go!" She snarled, her own claws growing in her anger.

_I could have told you not to do that_, he thought with an inward slap to his forehead; sometimes she could be dense, and she was like that just a moment ago, watching his younger brother draw the Tetsusaiga, his eyes narrowing. "Magatsuhi, you chose the wrong person to possess." He drew the Tensaiga as she drew Mangetsuga.

The fang turned black. "**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_" He roared.

"**_WOLF'S CRESCENT_**_!_" Getsu commanded swiftly, the blue-green arc of energy sailing at the void and negating it, the small explosion making the half-demon fly back from the blast as her mate stood his ground.

Sesshomaru nodded to her as she flicked her wrist and forced the wisps of smoke away from the blade, "quick thinking." He mused, recalling how her Wolf's Crescent had also blocked the voids that Shishinki had used in their battle with him. _I can't allow Getsu to use up her power, but then again, there's no telling how long she can hold out while using her Mangetsuga_, he mused.

"Damn, wasn't that a clever trick; shame it missed." Magatsuhi declared through InuYasha.

A loud '_klang_' rang out as her blade clashed with the fang of Tetsusaiga, surprising Sesshomaru, Kagome, and Magatsuhi.

"Getsu, get away from him." Sesshomaru ordered sharply at her back, watching her aura pulse around her, stilling his immediate reaction to grab her and force her to stay back as he fought.

InuYasha sneered, "You damn mongrel, even if you try to fight me, the Tetsusaiga will kill you regardless." Magatsuhi pointed out as she pressed her weight down onto the blade.

Her beast snarled in her ears as she glowered at him, feeling her aura pulsate until it was almost tangible, slightly surprising the possessed half-demon. "There's a problem with your statement: I don't intend to die just yet, least of all by the hand of a damn half-breed like InuYasha!" She snarled as her aura fluctuated wildly, forcing the half-breed back again by sheer will.

"Getsu," the priestess began in awe behind her as she bared her katana defensively.

"He's coming back to you, Kagome, don't worry about that. I just have to beat some sense into him first. I can't promise that he'll make it outta here without either a concussion or in a state of coma." She promised calmly, watching the half-demon regain his stance and growl at her.

She huffed and smirked, "ta be honest, I've always been curious on fighting a half-demon." She mused, dropping her arm to her side as she flew forward.

Their blades clashed as she swung at his head, disengaging and then locking again when he swung at her side; she bared her teeth and growled, digging her heels into the floor and holding her own against his weight, her beast snarling again and aching to come out.

**_No! Not now,_** she commanded it with an inward snarl of dominance, making the beast grumble in defeat as it backed down; his foot propelled into her belly, knocking her away and disengaging the blades.

"You're not the Princess of the Western Wolf Clan for no reason," Magatsuhi commented as his aura pulsed.

Her own aura pulsated around her, a wide smirk on her lips.

"And I'm gonna rip you apart with that honorary title on my head," she promised coldly, perking her ears as he swung the fang, a wide jet of yellow demonic wind screaming at her; she lifted her katana horizontally, a wide blue barrier blocking the attack.

The Tetsusaiga turned blood red as he shattered her barrier, swinging the large fang at her head; she rolled out of the way, rolling under him before she kicked him in the ass with her two feet hard, sending him staggering forward.

"Damn wench!" Magatsuhi snarled, the half-demon's lip curling back in a snarl and flash of teeth, before he leaped at her; she grunted and swung her katana in a wide arc, purple energy screaming at the half-demon and sending him flying.

She panted slightly, glowering at him and gripping the hilt of her katana. _I can't use Dying Wolf's Blood without having either Sesshomaru or Kagome get caught in the crossfire, and if he uses _**Meido Zangetsuha**_ or Adamant Barrage, I'm dead. Damn it, Magatsuhi_, she thought with a growl.

"**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_" A wide void shot at her.

**_Shit_**_!_

Sesshomaru snatched her waist, yanking her out of the way and against the wall.

Getsu blinked and looked up at his gold eyes, "S-Sesshomaru," she stammered in surprise.

"You've done enough." He smiled softly, his smile only for her eyes, stroking her cheek. "I'll handle the rest." He promised, squeezing her waist once more before he flew at the half-demon.

She nodded, watching the brothers fight and frowning softly.

:::::::oOo::::::::

The face faded from sight as she could smell that his aura had disappeared.

"Sesshomaru!" She leaped down after him, the half-demon and priestess, landing on his ledge as he sheathed Tensaiga. "That was brilliant thinking. Both of you." She declared, looking at his little brother as he straightened after helping the girl onto their ledge, the whole area beginning to tremble around them.

He huffed and looked away, scowling. "Whatever, ya were just lucky I didn't kill you with my Wind Scar." He remarked.

**_THWACK_**.

"That was for punching me earlier, dipshit; a real man with balls never hits a woman. And that goes double for you two." She dusted her hands off as he lay crumpled on the ledge with a giant bump on his head, earning a sweatdrop from the priestess.

He sweatdropped, shaking his head with a sigh. "I'm glad to see you're still your usual self," he muttered.

She huffed, crossing her arms at her chest. "Piss off," she remarked.

He smirked and shook his head again. _No matter what, you're still a tomboy_, he thought.

"I'm starting to think the beads of subjugation aren't as effective as Getsu's punches," the priestess mused more to herself as he shuffled to his feet, rubbing the bump gingerly.

"Ow… **fuck** that hurt! Maybe I shoulda killed you after all…" The half-demon groaned.

**_THWACK_**.

"You come anywhere **_near_** her with that sword in your hands and you're going to deal with **_me_**." The older of the two brothers threatened, cracking the knuckles of his left hand as his little brother now sported a second bump on his head.

"Such language infront of a lady," Kagome muttered as Getsu sweatdropped at the sight of InuYasha looking more like a panda.

"Getsu, let's go." Sesshomaru beckoned as he looked at her.

Getsu nodded, smiling at the couple before she hurried to his side and they took off further into the lower echelons of the spider.

"I still don't understand why you happen to befriend humans," he mused. "You're a demon like me. You're not like them."

She perked her ears before looking down. "I know I'm not, but I guess it's because my parents were always nice to the humans that served in our home, despite the fact that they were serving us. Besides, you're not complaining about that when I babysit Rin." She added.

His ears twitched and he huffed, "Of course I don't complain; one of us has to look out for her, if not me." He replied.

She smiled slightly and nodded. "That's true."

* * *

A/N: _as the gang heads deeper into the recesses of the giant spider's body, the more trouble will arise. _

_**you guys know the drill; thanks~**_


	39. We Are: Raion

A/N: _where we last left off, the gang had went inside the large spider demon that Naraku had created to end things once and for all. divided they stood, but united they will fight... enjoy the chap!_

**disclaimer**: InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko: Getsu belongs to me.

**title ref - "**We Are**" by **Ana Johnsson**, "**Raion**" by **Jinn***

* * *

_**Chapter 39: We Are: Raion**_

"Sango!" She beamed in relief, hesitating to go to the girl's side as she noticed he hadn't said anything.

"Sesshomaru," she began quietly, looking at him and his blank face. _He'd better not do what I think he's going to do; Kohaku saved Rin so that should atone for her almost killing her… shouldn't it?_ She wondered.

"Sesshomaru, if you wish to kill me, I won't resist you." The demon slayer stated, surprising both the wolf demon and her brother.

"Sango," she said in surprise.

"Lord Sesshomaru please! Rin is safe; please forgive my sister!" The boy pleaded.

"There's no excuse; I tried to kill Rin!" Sango barked.

"Sango, you were deceived into thinking that she was an illusion like that puppet was; it's not your fault." Getsu pointed out sharply.

"It doesn't change the fact that I was ready to sacrifice her; I would've done anything to defeat Naraku!" She argued.

She perked her ears and then looked down, looking at the sheathed katana at her hip as her sister's face flashed in her mind. _Korihime, if I was in Sango's place, would you have sacrificed yourself to help me defeat Naraku?_ She wondered, remembering her beaming smile that was a mirror image of her own. _Korihime_, she thought, gripping the hilt of her katana.

"I will not attempt to justify it or save my life. But please, let me finish this: once the curse has been lifted from Miroku, I'm all yours." She stated with tears in her eyes.

She widened her eyes a little, quieting and holding on tighter to the hilt. _Sango, I know we don't know each other very well, but I won't let him hurt you. He may be the man I love, but he'd have another thing coming if he actually wanted to get back at you for almost killing Rin_, she thought.

A bright light shined down on them from above; her eyes widened slightly before a familiar stink caught her nose.

She bristled, looking at him. "That's his stench; it's coming from where the light is." She declared quietly.

He nodded curtly, looking at the demon slayers. "Hurry." He saw the confusion in the girl's eyes. "You want to find the monk, don't you?" He wondered, leaping after the light.

She looked back at the siblings, "I'm not gonna let Sesshomaru hurt you, Sango. I promise that much; he's gonna get it if he thinks otherwise!" She promised, smiling for the surprised demon slayer before she flew after him, sidling to his left.

He glanced at her as she joined him, "your softness for humans amazes me sometimes." He mused.

She smirked and then huffed, "don't start with that." She replied. _I can only hope that there's going to be a slimy rat bastard on the other end of this light_, she thought with a scowl.

* * *

Thick jagged appendages that looked like obsidian jutted out from the narrow walls of the path, preventing them from following the female demon slayer.

"Sango!" She called, watching the cat demon continue onward into the darkness with her mistress astride her. "Damn it," she grumbled, glaring at the hard appendages.

"So he doesn't want us to follow her, does he?" He wondered aloud.

She scowled at the appendages, looking at him as he led the way, following dutifully.

_I hope Sango is alright; even though she feels horrible for almost killing Rin, I don't want Sesshomaru to kill her in the end. She doesn't deserve to die by the hand of a creature she's been trained most of her life to destroy, not when she has a future with Miroku_, she thought, exhaling.

The walls trembled around them as more miasma spewed out, making her bristle reflexively; she glanced over at the two humans to see they were both wearing the breathing masks to ward off the miasma, much to her relief and his.

"Lord Sesshomaru, there's so much miasma!" The boy declared, voice muffled by the breathing mask he wore.

"So there is," she grumbled, drawing Mangetsuga.

He caught her hand, earning a look; he had that confident look in his eyes, which often made her smirk and roll her eyes at his cockiness. "I'll handle it, save your energy." He advised.

She nodded, squeezing his hand and reluctantly sheathing her katana, glaring at the appendages as they seemed to become innumerable. "So now he's getting desperate; that means InuYasha and the others are close to killing him." She mused quietly.

"In that case, I will gladly read him his last rites. **Bakusaiga**!" He swung the fang; waves of green and yellow electricity screamed at the limbs, destroying them on contact.

_It looks like you're getting used to Bakusaiga_, she mused with a smirk, watching him open a path.

"Let's go," he declared, watching her draw her katana as he flew forward.

"**Dying Wolf's Blood**!" A wide torrent of green energy screamed at the rising appendages, destroying them on contact as she flanked him, flicking her wrist to clear the smoke rising from her katana's blade.

Her eyes widened as she sniffed the air. "Oi, we're getting closer; I can smell Naraku's stench clearer now, and InuYasha's too!" She mused, pricking her ears as a yelp sounded before she noticed the imp had returned to them, a sweatdrop forming on her brow. _Well, at least we're technically a pack again_, she thought.

Several large stinger-like limbs screamed at them from ahead; "out of the way!" Blue-green energy screamed at the limbs, destroying them swiftly and clearing the path.

_Her Mangetsuga seems to be getting stronger with each use_, he thought with a slight smile.

She frowned as she realized his scent was still there, a growl in her throat. "What the hell is taking that idiot so long to kill this bastard?" She wondered aloud, gripping the hilt of her katana out of habit.

"Getsu, when we reach Naraku, use your Nagareboshi-Kaen Taiho; I'll use Bakusaiga." Sesshomaru declared, perking her ears.

Getsu nodded, smiling at him. "You got it," she replied, watching him swing the fang again at the last end of the tunnel, the same wave of electricity destroying the wall.

"Sesshomaru!" InuYasha declared when the two _daiyokai_ arrived, Ah-Un following shortly behind.

She admired the way his Bakusaiga was destroying the walls around Naraku, smirking and sheathing her katana.

"Getsu, what're you doing?" Kagome barked at the sight of the female _daiyokai_ sheathing her weapon. _Is she insane? Her Mangetsuga is powerful; it's almost as strong as Sesshomaru's Bakusaiga! Why is she…?_ The memory of the blue fire from her palms flashed in her mind.

_Of course! She's going to use her wolf fire!_ She thought.

"So you're all here: you and your group of so-called friends." Naraku drawled, his voice almost a growl, surveying the rag-tag group of protagonists, demon to half-demon to human alike.

InuYasha huffed, "yeah, all of us: everyone survived."

Getsu cracked her knuckles and grinned darkly, the vow she'd made several years ago echoing in her mind as the prospect of getting her long-awaited revenge sang in her blood, making the beast inside her growl softly, humming in tune with the feelings she was experiencing.

_I promised that I would get vengeance for my clan's death, for my clan's blood that was shed so coldly and callously, that night under the half-moon… And now you're going to pay for what you caused, Naraku!_

* * *

"**Bakusaiga**!" A large wave of green and yellow electricity shot at the bust. "Getsu, **NOW**!"

"**NAGAREBOSHI-KAEN TAIHO**!" A wide barrage of blue fire screamed forward; she gritted her teeth and concentrated her aura on both herself to keep standing as well as keep the fire going, a growl in her throat, noting that he'd severed himself from his body.

Naraku sneered at them, having donned a torso formed from the armor of Moryomaru's blackened body.

_Damn it, my fire should've killed him_, she thought.

"What a simple bunch you are: this little gathering of friends has brought light back to the Shikon Jewel again. Was that what you'd hoped for; do you think you've won? I assure you, you have not won, for the Jewel and I have become one!" Naraku drawled, his skin taking on a violet glow before it changed, his hair becoming white, skin turning dark like tree bark; a blue streak marked both cheeks as his eyes turned red.

_Well now he looks more pathetic than usual_, she inwardly cursed him.

"The darkness is pushing out the light!" Kagome declared.

"Bastard!" InuYasha and Getsu spat in unison. "So he finally fed his soul to the Jewel, did he?" He wondered; "it just makes killing him a lot harder, now." She growled.

Four violet orbs filled with miasma appeared infront of him, reeking of both his stink and the darkness of the Jewel.

"**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_" InuYasha snarled as he swung the Tetsusaiga; several blades of the voids destroyed the orbs, destroying his body as well before it regenerated. "Damn it, no matter how many times I hit him, he just keeps coming!"

"**Wolf's Crescent**!" A blue-green jet of energy screamed at him, obliterating the right side of his face; she clicked her tongue when his face regenerated. "Shit, but then again it doesn't surprise me that the damn Jewel won't go down so easily." She growled.

More miasma orbs shot out at them from below; "**Bakusaiga**!" Green and yellow energy screamed at the orbs, destroying them on contact as he flew down to get rid of the orbs.

_The miasma from the discarded limbs is stronger_, he thought, glancing up at his mate and then at the imp and two children riding Ah-Un. "Jaken, leave Naraku's body at once." He ordered sharply.

"Y-yes milord!" Jaken chirped in response, steering the dragon out of the body towards the opening.

Miasma orbs sailed at them to prevent them from leaving.

"**Hiraikotsu**!"

"**Nagareboshi-kaen**!"

Both the boomerang and a streak of blue fire destroyed the orbs.

"Jaken, go **now**!" Getsu ordered sharply, watching them leave the body before she leaped to land on the giant pink ball Shippo had transformed into.

"Getsu," Kagome greeted in slight surprise.

"Are you two alright?" Getsu asked, looking at her.

_'I'm fine!'_ Shippo replied lightly, making her smile.

"Yeah, for some reason the miasma around me is being purified," she replied, perking her ears.

_Her power, I can practically see it_, she thought, nodding. "So I noticed. I just came to check on you two, considering Sesshomaru and the others are destroying the miasma orbs," she mused.

"**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_"

"**Bakusaiga**!"

A combined torrent of green and yellow electricity and sharp black blades screamed at the miasma, destroying them before more started to form.

"**_Meido Zangetsuha_**_!_"

Naraku reformed into the torso again.

"It's no use, Naraku; you've lost! No matter how much you try to resist it, your body's falling apart!" InuYasha declared.

"Enough of my body still remains, enough to wipe out a single village at least!" Naraku spat.

_The human village!_ She thought, growling and gripping the hilt of her katana. "Bastard!"

"Naraku, you bastard!" The half-demon barked.

"Don't tell me you didn't realize where we were, InuYasha? It's too late now! If you kill me, my miasma-laden corpse will descend on the village destroying everything!" The vulgar half-demon cackled.

"And what of it? **Bakusaiga**!" He snarled, drawing his katana and slicing at the torso.

His body's walls consumed the remains as the body was faltering more around them.

"Shippo, can you fly outside?" Kagome asked the kitsune.

'_Y-yeah, I'll try!_' Shippo replied, starting to move outside.

"That's my cue," Getsu mused, giving the girl a one-armed hug before she flew out after her mate, his hand reaching for hers and pulling her to his side.

_So not even Bakusaiga can cut the Shikon Jewel_, Sesshomaru thought. "I doubt Mangetsuga could cut the Jewel, too." He noted, perking her ears.

She nodded, looking away. "Mangetsuga is as strong as Bakusaiga, but it's not that tough. I'm sorry," she replied.

His face softened, "don't bow your head like that. You did well, especially to have come so far." He chided, perking her ears again.

"Sesshomaru," she met his gold eyes and then smiled softly, nodding. "Right," she said.

* * *

A growl escaped her throat as his smirking face appeared next to the struck Shikon no Tama, red eyes eerily lifeless yet still holding something that looked like malice; she gripped the hilt of her katana, bristling, moving forward with her mate and the small trio.

"At that very moment, I made a final wish upon the Shikon Jewel." Naraku declared, making her ears twitch.

_A final wish?_ She inwardly repeated.

"The moment where Byakuya of the Dreams cut you with his blade." Her eyes widened slightly, looking at the priestess; _he cut her? But I didn't smell any blood_, she thought. "That wish shall be granted when I die… though it was not mine to begin with. The Shikon Jewel forced me to make its wish. In the end, I was but its instrument." The light around him consumed his form, until it faded from sight.

"Naraku," Kagome began softly.

They –that is to say, everyone that had gone into Naraku's body that fought—kept their eyes on where the light used to be.

"So it's over just like that?" Getsu wondered aloud, sheathing her katana.

"Miroku, your wind tunnel is gone!" Sango declared, looking at the monk's clear right palm.

She bristled slightly, perking his ears.

"Is something wrong?" He wondered quietly.

"No, it's nothing," she replied with a shake of her head; _there's something off about this… Even though Naraku is gone, it still feels like a hollow victory_, she thought, tapping her chin with her left index knuckle.

A wide moon-like void opened up behind the priestess girl, surprising everyone (save Sesshomaru, who just stared blankly).

"Kagome, **no**!" Getsu shouted alertly as InuYasha tried to grab her; she grunted and tried to help him.

Sesshomaru grabbed her waist in his right hand's grip, pulling her against his chest and wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as she struggled. "Getsu!" He snapped.

_Where did that Meido come from? Was it from Byakuya's blade…?_ She thought.

:::::::oOo:::::::::

"You're sure she's coming back?"

Both monk and demon slayer nodded, smiling at the wolf demon. "Positive!"

The male _daiyokai_ looked at her, arms folded across his chest; he still didn't see what the big fuss was over this human girl… well okay, priestess. But for some reason he still was having trouble understanding her kindness towards that human. His mind drifted to the human girl they'd taken in, and her kindness towards her… the tears she'd shed when said girl had died in the underworld.

_Rin is a different case: she's used to us, to Getsu… to myself. We might as well have raised her…_

A bright light shone down on the group; he stiffened where he stood, hand flying to the hilt of Bakusaiga; his gold eyes widened.

Both his half-brother and the priestess girl landed gently on the ground a few feet away from the monk, demon slayer, and wolf demon.

"Kagome! InuYasha!" The aforementioned trio proclaimed in awe and relief.

"**YOU IDIOT HALF-BREED**!" Her right fist sucker-punched him in the nose, making the aforementioned half-demon yelp a curse and stagger back from the priestess's side, clutching his broken and bleeding nose gingerly.

"**G-GETSU, WHAT THE HELL**!?" InuYasha demanded loudly, his voice nasal, as blood stained his hand.

"You scared us all half to death, rushing into your own damn _Meido_ void! **And you**!" Getsu snarled at him, rounding on the priestess girl; she blinked and stiffened, ready to hear a scolding from the female _daiyokai_.

Instead she felt arms around her; she blinked her brown eyes, looking at the aforementioned wolf demon as she embraced her. "G-Getsu," she stammered in confusion.

"I'm glad you're okay. But I know that dumbass is happiest of all that you're alright and back to the Feudal Era." She smiled at her, pulling away to stand before the priestess.

Kagome's face softened and she smiled warmly. "I'm glad to be back too, Getsu."

"Oi, Getsu, you owe me for that sucker-punch! That hurt like hell!" InuYasha barked indignantly, glaring and stomping over to the she-wolf.

**_THWACK_**.

"I told you before, **half-breed**, that if you touched the woman I love, I would kill you." Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles as thin wisps of smoke rose up from the large bump on his little brother's head.

Getsu, Kagome, Miroku and Sango sweatdropped.

"Getsu, let's go." He added as he walked away.

She nodded, looking at the three humans and smiling at them. "See you guys later. Thanks for helping; really." She bowed lightly before looking past them at the felled half-demon. "If ya ever wanna spar, you know where to find me, InuYasha!" She added lightly.

"Getsu…" He began cattily.

"Coming!" She chirped, waving lightly before hurrying to his side.

Sesshomaru looked over his shoulder at the gathered humans, not sparing his half-brother a glance, hooking his arm around her waist and spiriting away.

Getsu smiled at them, waving.

* * *

A/N: _and so the Shikon no Tama and Naraku are finally gone.. you wonder 'now what'? _

_**you lot know the drill~ thanks**__! ;D_


	40. Four Seasons - Epilogue

A/N: _okay, last chapter! i know, i'm sad the anime is over, but it was fun while it lasted. ^^ **BUT**! this is my final goodbye to you lot from the fic. hope you guys have loved reading this fic as much as i loved writing it. anyway, on with the last chapter!_

(last) **disclaimer**: _InuYasha is copyright to Takahashi Rumiko; Getsu belongs to me._

_**title ref - "__**Four Seasons**__" by __**Namie Amuro**__**_

* * *

_**Chapter 40: Four Seasons - Epilogue**_

**_[Three Years Later...]_**

"**Getsu-onee**!"

She yelped and then laughed as she was tackled by an older version of the human girl she'd practically raised, hugging her tightly before they pulled apart with a laugh.

Rin smiled, holding her arms behind her back, "It's been a long time, Getsu-onee." She said lightly.

Getsu chuckled, reaching to ruffle her hair.  
"You're telling me; you've gotten taller! Oh yeah, I almost forgot." She reached for the package she carried on her back, pulling it out of the red sling and placing it before the girl. "Sesshomaru told me to give you this." She informed, watching her unwrap the package.

Her brown eyes widened in awe at the pink kimono with green sparrows embroidered into the silk, holding it to her chest. "Getsu-onee, it's beautiful! Thank you!" She beamed and embraced the wolf demon.

She chuckled warmly and held onto her before letting her go. "He let me pick the design," she shrugged innocently.

"Where is Lord Sesshomaru, anyway?" The preteen asked, tilting her head to one side.

She smiled and tousled her hair. "He's not far off; he's just waiting on me to leave the village. Y'know how he is," she shrugged.

"Oh," she quieted before she smiled and chuckled. "That doesn't really surprise me." She mused.

Getsu looked up as she caught a familiar scent, a grin forming on her lips. _Well, I'll be damned_, she thought.

"Is something the matter, Getsu-onee?" Rin asked.

"InuYasha," she smiled, looking at Rin and pulling her into a tight hug before kissing the top of her head. "I'll see you later, Rin!" She waved before she headed away towards the scent.

:::::::::oOo:::::::::

"_OI!_"

**_WHAM_**.

"Ow…"

The priestess blinked, a sweatdrop formed on her brow.

Getsu of the West stood ontop of the half-demon's back, her left foot crushing his head into the dirt; she looked at the girl and waved. "Yo, been a while." She greeted.

"Y-yeah, it has! How've you been, Getsu?" Kagome asked, blinking again when her half-demon footstool grumbled a curse into the ground, a vein twitching annoyedly on his head.

"Not bad, though things are kinda boring lately, now that Naraku is gone. But I manage. Sesshomaru and I came to leave Rin another kimono, but I caught this one's scent," she rubbed the toes of her left foot into his head, making him yelp and curse again, "and came to say 'hello'. Glad to see you here, though, Kagome; from what Shippo and Rin told me, this one was moping around and actin' depressed with his tail between his legs, the whole three years you were gone." She mused.

"**YOU STUPID MANGY WOLF**!" InuYasha snarled as he tried to grab the she-wolf's legs and drag her down.

Getsu hopped out of the way effortlessly, arms folded in the sleeves of her kimono.

"Missed you too, dumbass." She greeted lightly, pricking her ears as he lunged for her; her right foot shot up to smack him in the face. "Though don't go getting' me confused with Koga by calling me a 'stupid mangy wolf'. Unlike Koga, I could still just as easily kick your ass from here to the ocean." She added patiently, removing her foot from his face.

"Geez, that hurt! What the hell's the big friggin' idea anyway, pouncing me like that!?" He demanded hotly.

She deadpanned, "well you **_are_** my brother-in-law, even though Sesshomaru don't like to admit that you two are related. I'd suggest you get used to it." She explained in the same patient tone.

"No way, you two got married!?" He balked, sharing in the priestess's surprise.

"Well, not in the traditional sense. But wolves mate for life, and since we mated, we're stuck with each other." She shrugged.

InuYasha huffed, "that only makes sense that he'd be kept on a short leash! Typical dog," he said matter-of-factly.

**_THWACK_**.

"Mind **repeating that**? Damn half-breed." He cracked his knuckles, ignoring the bump that swelled on the head of his little brother.

"Sesshomaru, what the hell!?" The younger of the two barked, rubbing his head gingerly. "Geez, your punch was as harsh as Getsu's are!"

Sesshomaru ignored him again, turning to his mate. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to. It's getting late," he mused, making her ears twitch.

Getsu laughed sheepishly, rubbing her neck, "Sorry, love, I just came to say 'hi' to InuYasha and Kagome. Didn't figure it'd be late," she replied.

He sighed and ran a hand through his bangs, taking her hand. "Come on, let's go home." He declared, briefly looking back at the human and half-demon before they took off into the air.

"See you guys later!" She waved at them, flying at his side.

"I swear I will never understand your softness towards that girl," he grumbled.

She rolled her eyes, kissing his cheek. "I could say the same about you and Rin." She replied cheekily.

A vein twitched on his brow. "Don't start with that," he warned in a growl.

She smiled innocently. "Don't get your tail in a knot." She said, lifting her hands in surrender.

"See you later, **Getsu-nee**; **Big Brother**!" Kagome called after the two _daiyokai_.

Getsu blinked.

Sesshomaru shuddered, glaring down at the priestess as a vein twitched on his brow, shooting her a dirty look, his lips twisted in a pout.

She started giggling.

"That wasn't funny, Getsu!" He barked as she burst out laughing, hearing the imp ramble on about her insolence. "Shut your mouth or I'll kill you." He growled a threat, silencing the imp.

Getsu giggled.

Sesshomaru shot her a look, seeing the happiness in her face and sighing after a moment, succumbing to defeat… albeit reluctantly.

* * *

"Lady Getsuei," one of the servants declared.

Her ears twitched as she looked up from reading a book to see the door to the inside of the mansion opened to reveal a female servant.  
"Yuri-chan, what is it?" She asked.

"A visitor is here to see you; he says he's come all the way from the East." Yuri replied.

Getsu closed the book, nodding, "let him in." She ordered gently.

"Yes, Milady," she bowed and shuffled back inside.

_I wonder who it is_, she mused, looking at the cover of the book and tracing a claw over the characters.

"Well, this is a sight; never expected you to look so much like a princess, moon girl." A gruff voice declared, perking her ears.

Her silver eyes shot up at the owner of the voice, meeting his sky blue eyes.

Koga of the Wolf Demon Tribe stood before her, a hand on his side and a smirk on his lips.

"Koga," she quieted and then smiled, straightening to her feet from sitting on the porch, dusting herself off. "It's been a while." She greeted.

He smirked again, noting that her ebony hair had gotten longer and reached to her knees, being kept out of her face by a red hairtie that tied her long hair into a high ponytail, the familiar kindness in her silver eyes never leaving.

:::::::oOo::::::::

"So how've you been?" She wondered.

"Eh, can't complain much. Being married and whatnot." He shrugged.

She quirked a brow. "Congrats," she said, looking up at the clear blue sky overhead.

He smiled, following her line of sight. "Thanks. Surprised you didn't pout and act like a kid like before," he mused.

She rolled her eyes and punched his arm, making him grimace and rub his arm gingerly. "You're still an arrogant moron," she sighed.

Koga huffed, cutting his gaze away curtly. "So I heard you guys finally killed Naraku," he muttered.

Getsu blinked and then nodded, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Yeah, we did." She replied, her voice soft.

"So are you… y'know, happy that you got your revenge on him? For your clan?" He wondered with slight hesitation towards the once-touchy subject.

She looked down at the palm of her left hand, remembering the anger she'd used her wolf fire with against that slime in the final battle. "It wasn't my fangs that destroyed him… Kagome's arrow did it. But still, I'm just glad things are peaceful again. It feels like such a long time since things were like that, y'know?" She closed her hand in a light fist, sunlight glinting off her claws.

He gave her a sideways glance and smiled again, blue eyes lifting up to the sky. "So you're going to stay here with him." He didn't question it, knowing her feelings towards the subject of his statement.

Her silver eyes softened and warmed as she nodded. "Yeah, I am. Kind of have to; he **is** my husband. 'Sides, we made a promise, long ago, to not abandon each other, even in death." She said the last bit firmly.

Koga smirked, glancing at her in the cool blue kimono she wore, the white stars embroidered into the right shoulder and left hip. "That shade of blue fits you." He mused, seeing her ears twitch.

Getsu blinked before she huffed, closing her eyes serenely and shoving him away playfully. "Piss off, you're a married wolf now; shouldn't be flirtin' so shamelessly with a married woman." She grated.

He made a face, seeing her open one silver eye at him before she laughed, daintily covering her mouth with a hand; he smirked, chuckling and looking away.

"So where is Mr. Stuffy, anyway? From what I remember, he shoulda already tried to slice my head off with his claws by this point…" Koga wondered, looking over his shoulder as if the aforementioned _daiyokai_ was standing right behind him.

Getsu shrugged, "'said something about training with his sword. He should be back soon." She replied.

He huffed, smirking again. "Ta be honest, moon girl, I've never been able to really see what you love about him." He mused with a sigh, scritching the back of his head.

She lifted a brow before she smiled, her eyes turning warm again. "I know he doesn't look like much, but once y'get to know him, he's actually kind. And he loves me, as much as I love him, so that's enough to make me happy." She explained quietly.

His ears twitched as he saw the way she looked when she spoke of him, sighing. "You two sound happy."

Getsu nodded, smiling at him. "We are, yeah."

Koga returned the smile, ears twitching as he felt a dark aura behind them, making him stiffen.

"_So, when did they let in strays?_"

She blinked and then looked up at him, flashing a smile. "There you are; we were just talking about you."

He helped her to her feet, keeping a curious and wary gold eye on the wolf demon.  
"I'm surprised to see you're here." He mused, his hand holding hers tightening out of that old possessive feeling he felt for his wife.

The wolf demon huffed and straightened as well, his height matching the _daiyokai_'s.  
"I just came to pay her a visit, and to mention that I'm already married. We _are_ still friends, as far as I'm concerned." He stated calmly, arms folded across his chest.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Well then, I suppose you should be getting back to your bride before she worries."

Koga sniffed at his dismissal before he nodded, looking at the female _daiyokai_. "It was fun talking, Getsu. Maybe next time I'm in the area we can spar." He ignored the dog demon's grumbled words he uttered under his breath.

Getsu nodded, smiling at her friend. "It was fun, yeah. Though don't expect me to go easy on you if we do spar next time." She winked.

He chuckled, lifting a hand to tousle her hair, before he turned to leave. "See you later, and congrats, Sesshomaru." He added over his shoulder, opening the door leading inside before slipping inside and closing it behind his wake.

He growled a little under his breath, scowling. "So even stray dogs like him can find a mate." He mused aloud, lessening the grip he had on her hand.

She rolled her eyes, poking his chest with a finger. "Be nice, he's not gonna kill me. He never meant to do it in the past, anyway, even when we fought after his wolves ravaged that village." She scolded patiently.

Sesshomaru sniffed, holding her hand that had poked his chest, squeezing gently. "You're too nice sometimes," he grumbled.

Getsu smiled at the defeat he presented, reaching on her tiptoes to kiss his nose, seeing him wrinkle it and make her giggle. "And you're impossible," she quipped.

He smiled at her laughter, stroking her hair and brushing his fingers against the violet crescent on her left cheek, inclining his head to capture her lips in a kiss that reminded her just how much he loved her and just how far he was willing to go to protect her, feeling her slacken against him.

She reached to drag her claws through his silver locks he kept out of his face with a blue hairtie that kept his hair half-way down, feeling him cradle the back of her head in his larger hand's palm and press his tongue to hers wetly, reminding her that he was the strongest between them, and that he was a damn good kisser.

Sesshomaru sensed the wolf demon's aura finally disappear from his home's grounds, gently scooping her up from the porch and carrying her bridal style to their room.

Getsu blushed and held onto him, squeaking when he lifted her off the wooden porch to retreat inside the master bedroom.

A chuckle rumbled in his chest at her cute noise.

She blushed again and sighed, succumbing to her fate… not that she minded what awaited her.

* * *

A/N: _well i thought that was a nice ending._

_lol i hope you guys have enjoyed reading this fic as much as i've enjoyed writing it! to be honest, this is the first time i finished _InuYasha_. i left a few holes in my watching of the anime, but overall i finished it. might go back and cover the fourth movie,_ **Fire on the Mystic Island**_.. idk, what do you think?_

_if you haven't already done as such, __**please review**__! i always look forward to reading comments/ critiques/ praises for a fic i took a lot of time on. thanks a million and see ya! ;D_


End file.
